Surat Al-Fateha v\:* { behavior: url(#default#VML) } o\:* { behavior: url(#default#VML) } .shape { behavior: url(#default#VML) }

Surat Al-Fateha

 

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ (1) الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ (2) الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ (3) مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (4) إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ (5) اهْدِنَا الصِّرَاطَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (6) صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنْعَمْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ غَيْرِ الْمَغْضُوبِ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا الضَّالِّينَ (7)

 

Sūrat Al-Fatihah (The Opening)

1.   In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.

2.   Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds.

3.   The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.

4.   The Possessor of the Day of Doom.

5.   You only do we worship, and You only do we beseech for help.

6.   Guide us in the straight Path.

7.   The Path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring.

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Ever since the first moment of its revelation, the Noble Qūr’an was sent down closely interrelated with the Name of Allah, Exalted be He.
When we read the Noble Qūr’an, we make the same beginning, the same commencement Allah intended for us, that is, to commence in the Name of Allah.  We are instructed to begin everything we do with the name of Allah. The commencement should be ‘In the Name of Allah’.

             The first words which the Revelation articulated to the Prophet (SAWS) were: “Read: In the Name of your Lord Who created,” (Sūrat Al- Alaq, “The Clot” (96), verse 1). Hence, ‘In the Name of Allah’ was the beginning of the revelation of the Noble Qūr’an that aimed to carry out and implement its mission in the universe.

 When we read the Noble Qūr’an we make the same commencement, the same beginning. The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) was in the Cave of Mount Hira' when Jibril (AS) (Gabriel) came to him. The first encounter between the Angel who bore the revelation and the Prophet (SAWS) was Allah’s saying: “Read!”.

 The order: “Read!” requires that the one to whom the order is issued either has learnt something by heart, or is directed to read a written document. This did not apply to the Prophet (SAWS). Even if he (SAWS) had had a book (or a written document) in front of him, he could not have read it. The Prophet (SAWS) was unable to read or read because he was ummeyy (unlettered).

            When Jibril (AS) said to the Prophet (SAWS): “Read!” he (SAWS) replied, “I am not the one who can read!”  The Prophet (SAWS) was aware of his inability to read because he was unlettered and repeated the same saying thrice. Jibril (AS), by virtue of a divine revelation from Allah, said to the Prophet (SAWS), “Read!”. Nevertheless, the Prophet (SAWS) said again: “I am not the one who can read!”  The enemies of Islam used this incident to protest and say, “How come Allah said to the Prophet: “Read!” and he said: “I I am not the one who can read!””

         We refute these allegations and say that Allah issued this order to His Prophet (SAWS) as per His Omnipotent Powers that used to say  to whatsoever Command  He has decreed, “Be!” so “it is”. Nevertheless, the Prophet (SAWS) was responding according to his human nature that dictated that he could neither read nor write because he was unlettered.

        This incident, however, proves the fact that although he (SAWS) was unlettered, Allah has the Omnipotent power to endow him with the highest levels of knowledge. Accordingly, as he (SAWS) had been taught by his Lord, Exalted be He, he would become the Master of mankind and would have knowledge that would surpass the most educated and cultured people until Doomsday. All human beings are taught by human beings, but the Prophet (SAWS) was taught by his Lord, that is why he (SAWS), eventually, became the Master of all human masters and scholars. They imbibe from his knowledge and cognizance. The divine answer came from Allah, Exalted be He: “Read: In the Name of your Lord Who created, created man from clots. (Sūrat al-`Alaq “The Clot”(96), Verses 1,2).

 This means: “Allah (SWT) Who created all creations from nonexistence will ordain you to read to humanity what all the scholars, scientists and civilizations of this world would fail to come up with the like of. All what the Prophet (SAWS) would read of the Noble Qūr’an would be inimitable and miraculous not only for those who heard it when it was revealed but for the whole world as well. The Noble Qūr’an will remain inimitable and miraculous not only at the time of its revelation, but ever since its revelation until the Day of Judgment. Allah says: “Read: And your Lord is The Most Generous, Who taught by the pen.” (Sūrat al-`Alaq “The Clot” (96) Verses 3,4).

 This means: “O Muhammad, what you will read will for ever and ever teach humanity till the end of this world on earth! (Your knowledge will excel the most educated people.)” As Allah, Exalted be He, is the One Who teaches the Prophet (SAWS), He says: “Read: And your Lord is Al-Akram (literally, The Most Generous)” using the intensive form “Al-Akram”. When you gain knowledge from someone, this denotes Allah’s great and all-encompassing Generosity as He, Exalted be He, facilitated for you all means to be taught by a human being just like you. In case It is Allah Who is teaching you then He is Akram (literally, the Most Generous), the Most Honorable because He elevated you to an eminent and exalted level by ordaining you be taught by Him.

           Allah (SWT) draws our attention to the fact that the Prophet (SAWS) had not read the Noble Qūr’an for being literate. Rather, he read it “in the Name of Allah” (Bismillāh), with the ultimate power of the Name of Allah, and so long as the Name of Allah and “In the Name of Allah” lasts and exists.

            It was Allah Who taught the Prophet (SAWS). It was of no significance that the Prophet (SAWS) had been taught by a human being or not because Allah’s Omniscient Knowledge excels and surpasses all human knowledge.

            We begin our reading and recitation of the Noble Qūr’an with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) because It was He Who sent it down upon His Prophet (SAWS) for us. He facilitated for us all means to learn and read the Noble Qūr’an. Allah, Exalted be He, has ordained the Qur’an to be easy for remembrance. All affairs: whether they are related to sciences, omnipotent powers, or all-encompassing knowledge belong to Allah. Read Allah’s saying: “Say, “If Allah had (so) decided, in no way would I have recited it (i.e. the Qur’an) to you, neither would He have made you realize (what) it is. So I have already lingered among you an age even before it. Do you not consider?”(Sūrat Yûnus (10), verse 16).

 You read the Noble Qūr’an in the Name of Allah (SWT) (i.e. you begin your recitation of the Noble Qūr’an with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah)) because He, Exalted be He, facilitated all means for you and made the Noble Qur’an easy for you as a Divine Word, Revelation, and recitation. However, are we ordered to begin only our recitation of the Noble Qūr’an in the Name of Allah (i.e. Bismillāh)? In fact, we should begin all our deeds and affairs with the recitation of Bismillāh. We have to respect and venerate Allah’s endowments and boons in His universe. For instance, on cultivating lands, we have to begin all what we do with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) because we have not created the land we are cultivating nor the seeds we are sowing nor have we sent down the rain from the sky to bring forth fruits and cause the plants to grow.

            The farmer who bears his axe and strews seeds might be the most ignorant about the earth’s elements, the seeds’ constituents, not to mention how water irrigates earth so that the seeds and plants grow. The human being just racks his created brain and ponders over the matter created by Allah. The human being uses the power Allah originated and created in our bodies to cultivate lands. The human being is too powerless to force earth to yield fruits, create the seed that will grow into a tree, nor can he send down rain from the sky.

It is as if on beginning everything and all deeds with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah), he is beginning them in the Name of Him Who has subjugated earth, seeds and water to him, and made them subservient to him. All this is beyond man’s power and capacity. On beginning everything with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah), it is as if he is carrying out all these deeds in the Name of Him Who subjugated them to him.

            Allah, the Almighty, subjugated the entire universe for us, establishing all conspicuous evidence to the human being to prove this.  So do not ever think that you have any power or might to control this universe.  Similarly, do not ever delude yourself into thinking that the means and laws prevailing in the universe have any power in themselves. In fact, they work by virtue of their Creator’s Omniscient power, if He wills they will be validated, and if He wills they will be invalidated.

            A little boy can ride a tamed camel and a gigantic elephant. Nevertheless, no one can tame a small snack. Had we managed to do this as per our powers, then taming a snake or a serpent would have been much easier for us due to its small size. Yet, Allah, The Ever-Magnificent, would make it an example for us. He, Exalted be He, subjugated for us whatever He willed, and did not subjugate for us whatever He willed. Allah (SWT) says: “And have they not seen that We created for them, of what Our Hands did, an`ām (An`ām includes cattle, camels, sheep and goats) so that they are their possessors. And We have made them meekly subservient (Literally: humiliated) to them, so that (some) of them they have for riding, and (some) they eat.” (Surat Ya-Sîn (36), Verse 71, 72).

            Hence, we realize the fact that It was Allah Who subjugated such an`ām to us. Allah, Exalted be He, sends down heavy rain on earth and scientists say that this takes place by virtue of universal laws. Nevertheless, Allah, Exalted be He, draws our attention to the fact that this is wide of the mark. Hence, periods of drought befall a certain country, where not a drop of rain falls. This makes us realize that rain does not fall by virtue of the laws of the universe, rather, by virtue of the Will of the universe’s Creator.     

If the laws really work on their own, who then invalidated them? In fact, the Creator’s Will supersedes and holds sway over all laws. If It wills, such laws will work and if not they will be invalidated. Therefore, everything in the universe works in the Name of Allah, Who subjugated and granted all things, and He bestows or withholds His bestowments.

             This applies even to the affairs which the human being has the freedom to choose from. Allah says: “To Allah belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth. He creates whatever He decides; He bestows upon whomever He decides females, and He bestows upon whomever he decides the males; Or He couples them, (both) male and female and He makes whomever He decides sterile. Surely He is Ever-Knowing, Ever-Determiner. And in no way is it feasible for a mortal that Allah should speak to Him, except by revelation or from beyond a curtain, or that He should send a Messenger; then He reveals whatever He decides, by His permission. Surely He is Ever-Exalted, Ever-Wise.”(Sūrat Ash-Shû‍ra “Counsel”, (42) Verses 49,50).

 A human being is born to a mother and a father. Laws work only according to Allah’s Will and Decree. That is why a couple may get married yet they do not beget offspring. The biological laws do not create, nor cause two couples to beget offspring. Laws do not create; rather, It is The Will of the laws’ Creator that prevails. Whenever He wills, He causes these laws to work and whenever He wills He causes them be invalidated. Allah, Exalted be He, is not governed by laws, rather, It is He Who governs these laws.

            As Allah, Exalted be He, is the Omnipotent Who is Able to make these laws work and is Able to make them invalid, He is Able to make laws invalid. Let’s take as an example the story of Zakariyyâ (Zechariah). Maryam (AS) (Mary) was put under the care of Zakariyyâ who got her custody, and used to get her all what she needed. Whenever he entered her Mihrâb (praying place), he found her supplied with subsistence (i.e. unusual and out-of-season food) he had not brought her.

        Maryam (AS) was a pious saintly priestess who never abandoned her praying place, nevertheless, he asked her about what she had. Allah relates to us in the Noble Qūr’an what Zakariyyâ said to her: “He said, “O Maryam, however does this (come) to you?” (Sūrat Al-`Imran “The Family of Imran” (3), Verse 37).

       Allah, Exalted be He, depicts this situation for us. Although Maryam (AS), with her ethics and observance of acts of worship, was above suspicion, Allah intends us to realize that our negligence of the source of things that do not suit our financial means is the root and cause of the prevalence of corruption in society and the whole universe.  

      A wife, for instance, sees her husband squandering money and spending lavishly on their family. A mother sees her daughter wearing expensive clothes or jewels which her salary or pocket money could not buy. If that mother had asked her daughter: “From where did you get this?”, then the society would not have been corrupted. Corruption prevails when we overlook and wink at the ill-gotten money or gains. How did Maryam (AS) answer him? She said as Allah informs us in the Noble Qur’an: “She said, “It is from the Providence of Allah; surely Allah provides sustenance to whom He wills, without limit.”” (Sūrat Al-`Imran “The Family of `Imran” (3), Verse 37)

Allah’s infinite and unlimited Powers and Omnipotence are not governed by any laws (of the universe).  In fact, Maryam (AS) drew Zakariyyâ’s attention to Allah’s unrestrained Omnipotence.

            At that moment, Zakariyyâ (AS) invoked his Lord to be granted a son, an endowment that really requires Allah’s unrestrained Omnipotence. All things whatsoever will be of no avail save Allah’s infinite power. Zakariyyâ  (AS) was an old man, whose wife was old and barren. He would be granted a son; this has been an issue that is beyond laws of nature because begetting an offspring is a grant endowed solely to young parents. When a married couple grows old and senile, they lose all hope to beget children. Moreover, Zakariyyâ’s wife was barren. How come she gave birth to a child while she and her husband were senile? This issue was beyond all laws that govern human life. However, It was Only Allah, Exalted be He, Who was Able to set the law and its contrary. That’s why He, Exalted be He, willed to bestow upon  Zakariyyâ (AS) a son, and actually He did. Zakariyya was endowed with Yahia (AS). This proves that everything in this universe works in the Name of Allah and according to Allah’s Will and Decree. Of course, the universe is governed by means; nevertheless, Allah’s Will supersedes all means.

            When you start doing everything with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) (and say “in the name of Allah”), it is as if you invoke Allah to back you up and give you aid. Owing to Allah’s mercy, He taught us to start doing everything with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) and mention His name, (that is, by saying, “in the name of Allah”). The Name ‘Allah’ is the all-inclusive Divine Name that comprises all the Divine attributes and epithets of Allah’s perfection.

Our performance of a certain act sometimes needs many epithets. When you start doing something, you need Allah’s Omnipotent power, strength, support, and mercy. If Allah had not informed us of His all-inclusive Name, we would have needed to specify the epithet we need. We would have said, “In the Name of Allah, the Ever-Powerful”, “In the Name of Allah, the Superb Provider”, “In the Name of Allah, the Superb Answerer”, “In the Name of Allah, the Omnipotent” or “In the Name of Allah, the Propitious”. We would have sought the graces of all the Divine epithets and attributes we need and beseech the aid of. Nevertheless, Allah, Exalted be He, ordained us to say, “In the Name of Allah” as that Name comprises all the divine epithets.

             In this respect, we should make a mention of those who do not begin doing all their deeds with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) and mentioning Allah’s Name. Their sole aim is the petty worldly rewards and possessions. A disbeliever who does not mention Allah’s Name on performing a certain deed and a believer who commences all his deeds by mentioning Allah’s name, always heeding his Lord’s orders! Both of them, the disbeliever and believer, will benefit from the worldly gains because Allah is the Lord of all His creatures. He endows the grants of ar-Rububiyya (Lordship and Divinity) to all creatures that He brought to life. Nevertheless, this world is not the real life of the human being. Rather, the hereafter is the real life.

            Those who care only for this world will be granted rewards in accordance with the grants and bounties of Rububiyya (Lordship and Divinity). On the other hand, those who heed Allah’s orders and content will be rewarded in accordance with Allah’s bounties and grants in this world and in the hereafter. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “All the Praises and thanks be to Allah, to Whom belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is in the earth. His is all the praises sand thanks in the Hereafter, and He is the All-Wise, the All-Aware.” (Surat Saba’ (Sheba) (34) verse 1).

            In fact, the believer praises Allah for the blessings and boons He bestows upon him in this world. Then he praises Him when He saves him from hellfire and admits him to paradise in the hereafter. All the praises and thanks be to Allah in this world and in the hereafter!

The Prophet (SAWS) said, “Any significant affair that is not commenced in The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful is considered aqta` (literally means amputee, i.e. defective)!”

(Hadeeth reported by Al-Seūty in Al-Game` Al-Kabeer and attributed it to `Abdel- Qader El-Rahawy in the beginning of his book Al-Arb`een and narrated by Abu-Huraira (RA) with a good chain of transmission. Also, it is reported by Ibn-Katheer in his tafseer with the wording:  ‘agzam’ (literally, mutilated) instead of ‘aqta`’ (literally, amputee, i.e. defective!)”

            “Aqta`” here means one-armed or amputee. This means that this affair or deed will be laden with defects and have something missing. When you don’t commence a deed in the Name of Allah you might become vainglorious and pride yourself into thinking that it were you who subjugated all things in the universe to serve you.

            Moreover, if you do not commence a deed in the Name of Allah, you will not be rewarded for it in the hereafter. Rather, you will be rewarded for it in this world and deprived of all rewards for it in the hereafter. If you want to get the reward of this world and the hereafter, you have to commence all deeds in the Name of Allah. Before you eat say, “in the Name of Allah” because It was Allah Who created food and provided you therewith. Before doing your exams, say, “in the Name of Allah’ and He will help you and grant you success. On entering your house, say: “in the Name of Allah”, because It was He Who facilitated all means to you to have it. When you get married, say, “in the Name of Allah”, because It was He Who created your wife and made her lawful for you.

             Commence and begin doing all your deeds with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) because this will hinder you from doing anything that incurs Allah’s wrath on you. You can not commence doing anything that displeases Allah by saying, “In the name of Allah”. If you want to commit any sinful deed that displeases Allah and say, “in the name of Allah”, you will abstain from doing it. You will feel too shy to commence any sinful deed with the recitation of Bismillāh (literally, in the Name of Allah) (and say “in the name of Allah”). Hence all your deeds will be allowed and permitted by Allah.

            We commence reading and reciting Allah’s Word in the Name of Allah because this divine Word is from Allah. Allah is the Worshipped God in His universe. ‘Worshipped’ means that He is obeyed in all His orders and that we abstain from doing any deed He forbade us to do. Verily, it is as if you receive the Noble Qur’an by virtue of Allah’s grants of worship He bestows upon you and the means He empowered you with to obey His commands. You commence reading the Noble Qur’an in the Name of Allah Whom you believe in as a Lord and God, Whom you pledged to obey in all His commands. By virtue of your worship of Allah, you read and recite His Qur’an in the Name of Allah to act according to all the commands and prohibitions mentioned therein.  It is Allah Who created, initiated creation, gave life and death, and to Him all affairs belong in this world and in the hereafter. Eventually you will stand before Him on Doomsday when He will bring you to account whether you did good or evil. Verily, the beginning (of everything) is from Allah, and the end (of everything) is to Allah, Exalted be He.

             Some people wonder how they can commence doing any thing in the Name of Allah, while they disobeyed Him. Nevertheless, they should be careful not to shy from reading the Noble Qūr’an, commencing their recitation thereof in the Name of Allah in case they disobeyed Allah. That’s why Allah endowed us with legal reasons justifying our commencement of the recitation of the Noble Qur’an. He  ordained us to commence our recitation thereof in His name. Allah does not let the sinner down. Rather, He opens gates of tawbah(repentance) to the sinner and urges him to repent and turn to Him penitently. He, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful, forgives his sins. Don’t ever say that you shy  from commencing all things in the Name of Allah because you disobeyed Him. Allah, Exalted be He, calls all sinners to turn to Him penitently as He is the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. You might say that you can not commence doing any thing in the Name of Allah because you disobeyed Him yesterday.  Yet we ask you to say: ‘In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful’ for Allah’s mercy encompasses all the sins of His creations, and He, Exalted be He, is the One Who forgives sins and guilty deeds all together.

             The Arabic word ar-rahim (i.e. womb) is derived from ar-rahma (i.e. mercy), ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful). The womb is the place where the fetus is carried and develops before its birth, the place where it is provided with its sustenance, without having any might or power, without having exerted any effort.  It finds all what it needs for growth available and obtainable, as means of subsistence and sustenance provided thereto from its Lord, without having exerted any effort and without giving Him anything in return. Contemplate the compassion and tenderness every mother inundates her babies with, how she overlooks all their faults and feels great happiness when they resort to her.

             Allah says in the Qudsy (i.e. Divine) hadith:” [I am Ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful)  and I created ar-rahim (the womb) and derived for it a name from My Name. So, whoever joins it (keeps the ties of kith and kin) I will join ties therewith (i.e. bestow My favors on him). And whoever severs ties therewith, I will sever ties therewith (i.e. withhold My Favors from him).” (Reported by Ahmad, al-Bukhary, Abū-Dawud and al-Tirmidhy.)

Allah, Exalted be He, intends us to remember constantly that He showers us with His mercy and endows us with means of subsistence. He opens all gates of repentance for us, one after the other. We sin, yet He does not hasten to punish them for their sins, nor does He deprive us of His blessings and grants. He, Exalted be He, the All-Powerful, does not annihilate us for our evil deeds. That’s why we commence our reading of the Noble Qur’an in the Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful. This reminds us of Allah’s gates of mercy that are wide open for us. We raise our hands to the sky  and say: “O our Lord! Have mercy on us! Overlook our sins and forgive our evil deeds!” Hence the one who reads the Noble Qur’an will remain closely attached to gates of Allah’s mercy. Whenever he gets remote from Allah’s true Guidance, he hastens to turn to Him and be restored to His Grace. As Allah is ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful) the gates of His mercy will never be closed.

 It is worth mentioning in this respect that ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful) are in the intensive forms. In Arabic, we have the three forms, rahim, Rahman and Rahīm. Rahim indicates mercifulness, Rahman denotes the epithet of mercifulness in the intensive form, Rahim denotes the epithet of mercifulness in the intensive form. Allah, Exalted be He, is Rahman (The All-Merciful) of the life of this world (i.e. The All-Merciful Who showers all people with His mercy in the life of this world) and Rahīm (The Ever-Merciful)of  the hereafter. Allah’s epithets do not fluctuate between power and weakness. Don’t ever think that the Divine epithet varies in its intensity from ones time to another. Rather, they are the epithets of absolute perfection. The grants and endowments related and attached thereto are what change and vary. Allah says: “Surely Allah does not do injustice so much as an atom’s weight,” (Sūrat Al-Nisa’ “Women”, Verse 40).

             This Noble ayah negates any injustice to be attributed to Allah, the Great and Almighty. Moreover, Allah says in Surat Fussilat (Expounded): “Whoever does righteous (deeds), it is for himself; and whoever does odious (deeds), then it is against it; (The self) and in no way is your Lord in the least unjust to (His) slaves.” (Sūrat Fussilat “Expounded” (41), Verse 46).

            Notice the usage of the intensive form ‘zallam’ (the Arabic “most unjust”) in the previous ayah. Protestors and skeptics claim that on negating an epithet in the intensive form to be attributed to someone, and then this negation does not encompass the epithet itself to be attributed to him. They did not get the meaning.  In fact, the divine epithet or attribute does not change as Allah’s perfection never changes. Allah says: “in no way is your Lord in the least unjust”. The negation here corresponds with the large number of His creations and slaves.

            The divine epithets do not fluctuate between power and weakness. Don’t ever think that the Divine epithet varies in its intensity from ones time to another. The first ayah negates any injustice to be attributed to Allah, Exalted be He. He is far above doing any injustice to His worshippers so much as an atom’s weight. The second ayah refers to Allah’s slaves in the plural form. “Slaves” here refers to all His creations. If anyone of them had been wronged by even so much as an atom’s weight then injustice would have been tremendous.  That’s why the first ayah negates any injustice to be attributed to Allah, yet the intensive form is used in the second ayah because of the large number of His slaves and His Omnipotent Power.

The two Most Beautiful Names Ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful), Ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful): Allah is ar-Rahman (The All-Merciful) in this world for the large number of those whose Allah’s mercy encompasses. Allah’s mercy in this world encompasses the believer, the disobedient, and the disbeliever. Allah gives them their means of subsistence and does not punish them for their sins. He provides the believers and disbelievers with His means of subsistence and He pardons much. Hence, all Allah’s mercy encompasses all His creations regardless of their creed or faith.

Nevertheless, in the hereafter Allah is ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful) Who will have mercy only on the believers. The disbelievers and the polytheists are expelled from Allah’s mercy in the hereafter. Hence, those who are showered by Allah’s mercy in the hereafter are less in number than those on whom Allah bestows His mercy in the life of this world. Why then the two attributes ar-Rahman and ar-Rahīm are in the intensive form? The superlatives ar-Rahman and ar-Rahīm express the intensive and all-embracing bestowment of mercy and the perpetuity of this bestowment. Allah’s grants in the hereafter will be far greater than His grants in the life of this world. The intensive form of the two attributes ar-Rahman and ar-Rahīm denotes the abundance of Allah’s bestowments and their perpetuity. It is as if the intensive form of Rahma of this world denotes the all-encompassing and universality of the bestowments and grants, whereas the intensive form of Rahma in the hereafter denotes the special bestowment of Allah’s grants He endows exclusively to the believer, their abundance, and perpetuity.

Scholars differ on Bismillāh (literally, “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”). It is mentioned in 113 Sūrah of the Noble Qūr’an yet the scholars differed whether it is part of the Sūrahs themselves. In other words, is it (i.e. Bismillāh (literally, “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”)) considered part of each Surah that commences therewith? Shall we consider it the first ayah of the Sūrahs of the Noble Qūr’an? Or is it considered part of Surat al-Fatihah only? The beginning of each Sūrah commences with “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful” so is this ayah considered and counted as the first ayah of the Sūrahs? Or is it counted only in Sūrat al-Fatihah (the Opening Sūrah) and is considered an independent ayah placed at the beginning of every Sūrah in order to separate and distinguish one Sūrah from another, not part of the Sūrah itself?

Scholars say that Bismillāh is one of the ayat of the Noble Qūr’an, yet it is not an ayah of each Sūrah except for Sūrat al-Fatihah (the Opening Sūrah of the Qūr’an) as it an ayah thereof. One Sūrah, namely Sūrat at-Tawbah, does not commence with Bismillāh (i.e. bi'sm Allah ar-rahman ar-rahim) “literally, In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”. The Bismillāh (i.e. bi'sm Allah Ar-rahman  ar-rahim, literally, “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”) is repeated in ayah 30 of Sūrat Al-Naml as Allah says: “Surely it is from Sulayman, (Solomon) and surely it is in The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.” (Sūrat Al-Naml (The Ants ) (27), verse 30).

Allah says: “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful.” (Sūrat Al-Fatihah (The Opening) (1), verses 2,3).

 

Al-Fatihah is described as Ūmm Al-Kitab (the Essence of the (Noble) Book) without which prayers will not be valid. In every raka’a, you can read one ayah of the Noble Qūār’an that differs from the ayah of the previous raka’a and the ayat you read in your previous prayers. Yet if you do not read Al-Fatihah in your prayer it will be invalidated, that is why the Prophet (SAWS) said: “If anyone observes prayer in which he does not recite Ūm al-Qur’an, it is deficient [he (SAWS) said it thrice] and not complete.” (Reported by Muslim in his Saheeh with Abū-Hūraira’s chain of transmission).  Al-Fatiha is Ūm al-Kitab without which prayers will not be valid.

 

Allah, Exalted be He, said in a Qudsiyy (i.e. Divine) Hadīth, “I have divided the prayer into two shares (i.e. halves) between Me and My worshipper, and My worshipper will be endowed with whatever he prays for.  When the worshipper says, “Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the `alamin” (literally, the worlds), Allah, Exalted be He says, “My worshipper has praised Me”.  When he says, “The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”, Allah says, “My worshipper has lauded Me”.  When he (i.e. the worshipper) says, “The Possessor of the Day of Doom”, He says, “My worshipper has glorified Me”.  And when he (the worshipper) says, “You (solely) do we worship and you (solely) do we beseech for help”, Allah says, “This (i.e. faith) is between Me and My worshipper, and My worshipper will be endowed with whatever he asks”.  Then, when he (i.e. the worshipper) says, “Guide us to the straight path, the path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring”, Allah, Exalted be He, says, “This is for My worshipper, and My worshipper will be endowed with whatever he prays for.” (Reported by Ahmad, Muslim, Abū-Dawud, al-Tirmidhy, an-Nisa’y, Ibn-Maja, Ibn-Haban and narrated by Abū-Huraira).

 

On reading the previous Qudsiyy (i.e. Divine) Hadīth we should notice that Allah, Exalted be He, says: “I have divided the prayer into two shares (i.e. halves) between Me and My worshipper” and He, Exalted be He, does not say, “I have divided Al-Fatiha into two shares (i.e. halves) between Me and My worshipper”. Al-Fatihah (the Opening Sūrah (chapter)) of the Qūr’an is the basis of the prayer. It is Ūm al-Kitab. Three of Allah’s Most Beautiful Names are repeated in “b'i'sm Allah ar-rahman ar-rahim” and al-Fatihah. These Names are: Allah, The All-Merciful, and The Ever-Merciful. In case a word is repeated in the Noble Qūr’an, then it will acquire a new meaning and denotation every time it is repeated because the Noble Qur’an is Allah’s Word. Allah uses the perfect and right word in the most appropriate and perfect context.

 

On saying: ““In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful” one seeks the help of Allah’s all-powerful capabilities and omnipotent attributes to assist us in commencing doing any thing. Hence, invoking “Allah” by saying “In The Name of Allah,” denotes that we are seeking Allah’s omnipotent abilities and omniscient attributes to aid and succor us on doing all our deeds. Yet on saying: “Praise be to Allah,” we attribute all praises and thanks to Allah for all what He endowed us with. We are unable to thank our Lord and praise Him except by invoking His Name, that is, “Allah”  that encompasses all His attributes.

 

We praise Him for all the attributes and the mercies He showers us with. We do not say: “In the Name of Allah The Superb Vanquisher”, or “In the Name of Allah, The Superb Bestower”, “In the Name of Allah, the Most Generous” or “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful”. That’s why we say “Praise be to Allah” for the perfection and excellence of His attributes. Praising Allah encompasses the perfection of all Divine attributes and epithets. There is a discrepancy between: “In the Name of Allah” Whom we beseech for help in all what is beyond our capabilities for It is Allah Who subjugated everything in this universe and ordained all things to serve us and ‘Praise be to Allah’. “Allah”, our Lord’s Most Beautiful Name, is mentioned in ‘Praise be to Allah’ so that we praise and thank Allah for all His favors. It is as if “In the Name of Allah’ in Bismillāh (literally, “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”) is an instance of seeking Allah’s aid and help with all the perfections of His attributes and is as if ‘Praise be to Allah’ in Al-Fatihah attributes all praises and thanks to Allah, Exalted be He, with all the perfections of His attributes.

 

The meaning of “ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful), ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)” in Bismillāh differs from that of Ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) Ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)” in Al-Fatihah. In Bismillāh ‘ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)’ reminds us of Allah’s mercy and forgiveness so that we do not feel too shy or frightened to beseech the help of His Name in case we committed a sin. Allah, Exalted be He, wills us to beseech the help of His Name in all our deeds. If one commits a sin, he will say: “How come I beseech the help of Allah’s Name after having committed sins?” Nevertheless, we tell him: resort to your Lord and enter from the gates of mercy to reach your Lord, hence, He will forgive you. Beseech His aid and He will accept your prayers. When you sin, you seek refuge in Allah’s mercy from His Justice, because Allah’s Justice will count any thing and all things no matter how minor they are.

            Allah says: “And the Book will be laid down (i.e. placed in one's hand). So you will see the criminals (feeling) timorous about what is in it, and they say, “oh woe to us! How is it with this Book, that it leaves out (nothing), small or great, except that it has enumerated it?” And they will find whatever they did present, and your Lord does no injustice to any one.” (Sūrat al-Kahf (The Cave) (18), verse 49).

            If it were not for Allah’s mercy that precedes His justice, He would not leave a grace for His creations nor would anyone survive on earth. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “And if Allah should take mankind to task for their injustice, in no way would He leave hereon any beast; but He defers them to a stated term. So when their term comes, they will not be able to postpone it by an hour, nor put it forward.” (Sūrat al-Nahl (The Bees) (16), verse 61).

The human being is created feeble and impatient (most fretful). The Prophet (SAWS) said: "No one of you will enter Paradise by virtue of his deeds unless Allah inundates him with His mercy." They asked, "Not even you, O Messenger of Allah?" He (SAWS) said, "Not even me!"

 

Man’s sins are abundant. When he rules he might wrong people, and when he speaks he might utter lies. Moreover, he might be untruthful when he bears witness. He might slander people. We commit these sins with varying degrees and no one can ever attribute perfection to himself. No one reaches perfection even those who exert strenuous efforts to obey their Lord.

The Prophet (SAWS) said: “All the sons of Adam are sinners, but the best of sinners are those who oft-repentants." (Reported by Ahmad in his Musnad, al-Tirmidhy, Ibn-Maja and al-Hakim and narrated by Anas (RA)).

            Allah says in the Noble Qūr’an to describe the human being: “And He has brought you of all you asked Him; and in case you number the favor (s) of Allah, you (cannot) enumerate them. Surely man is indeed constantly unjust, most disbelieving.” (Sūrat Ibrahim (14), verse 34).

Allah wants us not to be prevented by our sins from commencing and embarking on all deeds in His Name of Allah. He teaches us to say: “In The Name of Allah, The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful” in order to make us realize that the gates of beseeching Him and His aid are wide open. Committing sins should not hinder us from beseeching Allah’s help in all our deeds and commencing them in the Name of Allah for He is the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful. Hence, Allah eliminates feelings of melancholy and desolation you have after committing sins by beseeching Him. Yet, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful’ in Al-Fatihah is closely attached to “The Lord of the worlds”. He created and originated you from non-existence, endowed you with favors you can not count nor enumerate. You praise and thank Allah for the favors and boons you have been granted by virtue of His mercy in His Rūbibyyah (the Lordship of Allah). Rūbibyyah (the Lordship of Allah) entails His mercy rather than harshness. Allah, Exalted be He, is the Lord of the believers and the disbelievers. He originated them all, and brought them forth to existence and He grants them favors according to His mercy and not what they deserve. The sun rises over the believer and disbeliever, without ever hiding its rays from the disbeliever and propagating them over the believer only. Rain falls on the believers and the idolaters who associate idols apart from Allah. Air is breathed by those who say and profess: “There is no god to be worshipped but Allah” and those who do not believe in Allah. Allah endows all His creations with all the grants that are the bestowments of Rūbibyyah (the Lordship of Allah). This is a mercy in itself. Allah is the Lord of all creations, those who obey Him and those who disobey Him. This is a mercy in itself. He is The Accepter of penance and this is a mercy in itself.

That’s why “ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful), ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)” in Al-Fatihah denotes Allah’s mercy in His Rūbibyyah (Lordship) of His creations. He gives the sinner a respite, opens gates of repentance for whoso resorts to Him. Allah ordained His mercy to supersede His Wrath. This is a mercy in itself and requires praise of Him.

“Ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)” in Bismillāh differs from that of ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful) ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful)’ in Al-Fatihah.

As for “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds”, Allah is Praised for Himself and Praised for His attributes, Praised for His favors and Praised for His mercy, Praised for His divine constitution and Praised for His fate. Allah is Praised even before creating whoso would praise Him. It is an aspect of Allah’s mercy He bestows on us is that He, Exalted be He, taught us to praise Him by saying just two words: “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (Praise Be To Allah) and this is in itself a mercy that requires praise of Him. It is worth mentioning in this respect that when we thank someone for a favor, you count words of praise and thanks for hours, delete and add words of laudation until eventually you compose a poem or a letter laden with praises and eulogy.

Yet, Allah’s endowments and favors can not be counted nor enumerated. He taught us to praise Him by saying just two words: “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (Praise Be To Allah). In fact, if you exaggerate your praises of people is something disagreeable. It makes them vainglorious and hypocritical and augments people’s sins.

We have to decrease our words of praise of people. On praising Allah and attributing all thanks to Him for His lavish favors and bestowments, we have only to say just two words “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (Praise Be To Allah). It is an aspect of Allah’s mercy that He taught us how to praise Him and mentioned the wording of praise. If He had not specified for the human being those two words “Al-Hamdu Lillah” (Praise Be To Allah), it would have been too difficult for him to find the most appropriate and perfect wording to praise their Lord therewith for His divine perfection. The most eloquent and fluent of all people are unable to compose the best and most appropriate wording by which we can praise Allah, the words that suit the Grantor’s Majesty. How come we praise Allah when our mental powers are unable to perceive His Power, count His favors, or encompass His mercy?

The Prophet (SAWS) depicted for us the human inability to praise the perfection of iluhiyya (the Worship) of Allah (SWT), so he said: “O Allah! Verily, I cannot enumerate the praises due to You; You enjoy the same praises as you have praised yourself!”

With the two words “Al-Hamdu lilah” (Praise be to Allah) Allah equates between mankind. If Allah had not specified the wording of praise (that is, “Al-Hamdu lilah” (Praise be to Allah)), there would have been varying degrees of praising Him according to people’s varying degrees of expressiveness and eloquence. An unlettered man would not have been able to find the most appropriate and perfect words by which he can praise Allah.  

Nevertheless, Allah’s justice has ordained to equate between all His worshippers in the wording of praising Him (i.e. on teaching us to say “al-Hamdu lilah”). That’s why in the first Sūrah of the Noble Qur’an, Allah enjoins us to say: “Al-Hamdu lilah” (All praises and thanks be to Allah) to give His worshippers and slaves equal opportunity to praise Him. The educated and the uneducated, the most eloquent and those who lack fluency  are equal in  Allah’s grant to His worshippers, that is, by enjoining them to say “Al-Hamdu lilah” (All praises and thanks be to Allah).

That’s why we praise Allah Who taught us how to praise Him so that the worshipper remain always praising Him, and Allah will always be Praised. Before creating the human being, Allah, Exalted be He, created for us all means for him that require and obligate him to praise Allah for His favors. He created for us the heavens and earth, originated for us water and air, ordaining and putting therein means of subsistence until doomsday. These are favors bestowed to us and enjoin us to attribute all praises and thanks to Allah as He, Exalted be He, ordained His favors be originated and created prior to the human existence. When the human being was created, he found Allah’s favors already existing to receive him in this world.

Prior to creating Adam, the father of mankind, Allah created paradise where he would live without toiling or suffering. When he was created, he found all what he can eat and drink all means of subsistence, all what could delight him please him already existing and all set before his creation.

When Adam and Eve descended to earth, all favors preceded them to earth. They found all what they need of food, drink and shelter provided for him therein. If Allah’s favors had not been lavishly provided for prior to the human existence and had they been created after his creation, then Adam and Eve would have been annihilated while waiting for the bestowment of these favors. The Divine favors and bestowments to the human being the moment he is created in his mother’s womb. As a fetus, he finds a womb prepared and all set to receive him. He finds nutrition that will suffice him throughout the pregnancy period. When he comes to this world, He created milk in his mother’s breasts in order to be breastfed therewith. Then his mother will stop breastfeeding the baby when it is weaned. That baby will be bred in a family, to a father and a mother who will provide him with all means of subsistence until he becomes able to sustain himself. All this takes place before reaching his legal capacity and becoming able to say: “Al-Hamdu lilah” (All praises and thanks be to Allah).

That’s why the favors precede the human being to whom they are bestowed. The human being says: “Al-Hamdu lilah” (All praises and thanks be to Allah), as all the means, bestowed to him and that require and obligate him to praise Allah for His favors, preceded him on earth before the human existence.

Allah, Exalted be He, created in this universe things that have been granted to the human being without our exerting any efforts and without having them subjugated thereto. The human being is unable to present to himself all these favors Allah grants to him without exerting any efforts. The sun propagates warmth and endows earth with life without our exerting or doing anything. Rain falls and air envelops the universe and all mankind. Also, earth yields fruits when we sow seeds and water them. Plants and fruits grow by virtue of Allah’s power. Night and day follow one another successively so that we can sleep and have rest by night and seek means of subsistence by day. You did not get daylight, nor had you created dusky night. Nevertheless, you get your rest by night and you work and gain your subsistence by day by virtue of Allah’s power without your exerting any efforts. All these things were not created by the human being, rather, he found them in the universe to grant and endow him. In fact, all these grants and endowments deserve our praising our Lord for He, Exalted be He, subjugated the entire universe to serve the human being.

Allah’s signs in His universe require our praise of Him. For the life Allah endowed us with, and the signs He laid in His universe shows us that a Great Creator created this universe. The universe with its sun, moon, stars, earth and all what is created therein supersede the human being’s abilities. No one can ever claim that he created the sun, originated the stars, set down the earth, laid down the laws of the universe, or originated the atmosphere. No one can ever claim that he even created himself or another person. All these signs gave us evidence that a Superior Omnipotent Power exists and created the universe. These signs are not static to make us forget them. Rather, they are dynamic in order to draw our attention to the Ever-Magnificent and Great Creator of this universe.

The sun rises in the morning and reminds us of the Creator’s inimitable miracles. And the sun sets in the evening to remind us of the Greatness of the Creator. The Day and night follow one another successively every day to draw our attention to Allah’s Greatness. Rain is sent down from the sky to remind us of the Lord Who caused it to descend. The crops are brought forth from earth and watered with one source of irrigation. Nevertheless, each of the multifarious plants has differing and various forms, tastes and smells.

Every thing in this universe moves to remind us of Allah’s inimitable miracles in case we forget them. All things draw our attention to the Ever-Magnificent Creator. Allah’s favors can not be counted nor enumerated.

Each of Allah’s favors proves to us the existence of Allah, Exalted be He, giving us a faith-laden evidence that this universe has an Ever-Innovating Creator. No one can ever claim that He created the universe or anything therein.  “Praise be to Allah”. He endowed us with inherent faith and then gave evidences from the universe, that is, His signs with which His universe is replete. Everything in this universe requires praise of Him. Nevertheless, the human being praises the created things and forgets the Creator. When you see a beautiful flower or an exquisite rose, or rather any of Allah’s creations, your sense of beauty inundates your soul. Hence, you praise that creation and say: “What a beautiful flower!” or “What a precious gem!” or “What an exquisite creation!”

Yet, the created thing which you praised could not grant itself such beauty. All things in the universe were not able to grant themselves their beauty. It is Allah Who granted all things their beauty. Hence, we should not mix things up. Rather, you have to say: Praise be to Allah Who originated in the universe what reminds us of the Greatness of the Creator and the perfection of His creation.

Allah’s divine constitution requires our praise of Him. He, Exalted be He, sent down His divine constitution to show us the path of guidance and keep us away from the path of evil. Allah’s divine constitution He descended on His messengers informed us that Allah created for us the universe and created us. The perfection and greatness of His creation shows us the Greatness and Magnificence of the Creator. Yet that creation could not inform us Who He is nor what does He want us to do. That’s why Allah sent His Messengers to tell us that the Creator of this universe and us is Allah, Exalted be He and this requires praise of Him.

Allah’s divine constitution shows us what Allah, Exalted be He, would us to do and how we should worship Him. This requires and necessitates our praise of Him. Allah’s divine constitution legislated for us all the true and perfect legislations of our lives. Allah does not discriminate between any one of us, nor does He give preference to anyone over the other save by virtue of devoutness. We are equals before Allah, Exalted be He.

Then, the Islamic law of truth all come from and belong to Allah. Yet, the human laws and legislations bespeak of petty worldly desires.  In fact, the Shari`ah of truth, saying the truth and all judgments and decrees of truth belong to Allah. That’s why all human legislations are replete with oppression. In the Communist countries, for instance, the members of the Central Committee were the well-off affluent whereas the people waded in poverty and sufferings. The legislators followed their desires and gave preference to their own interests over those of people. The same applies to capitalist countries where the capitalists put their hands on all wealth and riches. When Allah (SWT)  sent down His divine constitution, ordained justice to prevail among between all people, and gave every one his due rights. He, Exalted be He, taught us how principles of integrity will prevail on earth and all worldly affairs of our lives will be kept in order provided that they are not blemished human desires and abide by Allah’s Supreme Justice. This in itself requires our praise of him. We should express all our gratitude to Allah, the True Lord, to Whom all praise is due as He takes not anything from us yet He inundates us lavishly with everything. Some people, in all ages, try to take advantage and exploit others because they covet their riches with avidity. On the other hand, Allah, Exalted be He, Who showers us lavishly with His bounties without ever taking anything from us is the Owner of the Safes of all riches and wealth as Allah (SWT) says: “And decidedly there is not a thing excepting that its treasuries are in Our Providence, and in no way do We send it down except in a known estimate.” (Sūrat Al-Hijr (Thamûd's Habitation) (15), verse 21).

Allah, Exalted be He, endows and showers His creatures incessantly and lavishly with His grants and endowments. His creations always imbibe from their Lord’s grants and endowments. Your slavery to Allah grants you all dignity and might. This in itself deserves our praise of Him. The human being should ask his Lord to be granted His endowments, he has to invoke Him and ask for His aid. This in itself deserves our praise of Him because this protects us from humiliation in this world. If you ask a prestigious someone any favor he will set an appointment for you to meet him or hold an interview with him. He will determine the duration of this meeting or interview. He might feel fed up with during your meeting, so he puts an end to it. On the other hand, Allah’s gates are wide open. You stand before Him whenever you would, and you raise your hands to the sky and invoke your Lord whenever you would. You ask Him whenever you would to grant you whatever you would and He grants you what you would if it is good for you and protects you against what you would if it is evil for you! That is why all Allah’s endowments deserve and necessitate our praise of Him. Also, when Allah, Exalted be He, orders you to invoke Him as He says: “And your Lord has said, “Invoke Me and I will respond to you. Surely the ones who wax too proud to do Me worship will soon enter Hell utterly abject.” (Sūrat Ghafir “The Forgiver” (40), verse 60).

Allah says: “And your Lord has said, “Invoke Me and I will respond to you. Surely the ones who wax too proud to do Me worship will soon enter Hell utterly abject.” (Sūrat Ghafir “The Forgiver” (40), verse 60).

         Also, Allah says: “And when My bondmen ask you concerning Me, then, surely I am near; I answer the invocation of the invoker when he invokes Me; so let them respond (to) Me, and let them believe in Me, so that possibly they would respond right-mindedly.” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah “The Cow” (2), verse 186).

Allah, Exalted be He, knows what you think and what you would, that is why He endows you with grants and bestowments without asking Him. In a Qudsiyy (Divine) Hadīth, Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Whoso is preoccupied by My remembrance from invoking me (i.e. asking me to endow him My grants) I will give him (grants) more than what I give those who invoke me!”  (Reported by al-Bukhary, al-Bizar and al-Bayhaqy and narrated by Ibn-Omar).

Allah’s grants will never be depleted, and His treasures will never be emptied. The more you ask Allah, the more He will inundate you with His grants and endowments. Allah is the Almighty Who is Able to grant and endow all things to His creations as a famous poet says:

It suffices me that I am the slave of my Lord

Who cares for me at all times

At any time welcome me my Lord

Who is in His all-sanctified Holiness,

Yet I (may) meet Him whenever and wherever I would!

That is why when Allah grants us lavishly His bestowments; this requires our praise of Him. Also, when He withholds His grants this necessitates our praise of Him. Allah’s Existence, Divinity, Lordship, and Oneness are proved to be true and acknowledged by all creations. Allah’s Existence that is necessary requires our praise of Him. Allah deserves to have all praises and thanks attributed to Him for His Own Self.

That’s why Allah’s endowments require our attributing all praises and thanks to Him; if He endows us with His grants then this requires our praise of (and attributing all praises and thanks to) Him if He deprives us of His grants then this also requires our praise of (our attributing all praises and thanks to) Him. The existence of Allah Whose existence is a necessity requires our attributing all praises and thanks to Him.

If it had not been for Allah’s justice, people would have committed acts of injustice on earth. Yet when Allah’s Hand assaults and strikes the wrongdoer sharply makes him an exemplary model. Hence, people fear injustice, and whoso escapes Allah’s punishment in this world for his sins and acts of injustice will eventually meet Allah in the hereafter to give him what he deserves. This in itself requires our attributing all praises to Allah. The oppressed feels appeased because the evildoer will inevitably be punished.

He will feel reassured and tranquil that one day he will see the one who wronged him tortured in hell. He will never feel sorry for himself and his feeling of bitterness for being oppressed when he will realize that Allah sustains His universe and no one dares escape His All-Supreme Justice. When we say: “Praise be to Allah” we express various feelings and emotions. On saying: “Praise be to Allah!” we have feeling that embody our feeling of complete slavery and gratitude to Allah as we feel unable to thank Him for His perfection and endowments. These feelings lurk and dwell in our hearts then inundate our organs and body to overwhelm the whole universe. My praise of Allah is not my utterance of mere words. Rather, it passes by the mind and lurks in the heart so it is affected by it and then moves on to one’s organs. Hence, I pray to Allah to thank Him, attributing all praises to Him. My body shakes and tears roll from my eyes. These feelings will propagate in the whole place and influence all those around me.

Let’s explain this. Suppose that one is in a fix or is afflicted by an ordeal that might expose him to a scandal. Then someone has come to him to relieve him of this ordeal and gave him money or opened gates of prosperity in his face. One’s heart will feel so grateful and feel touched for that person. Then his body and organs will be affected with inundating emotions. Eventually, they will interpret these emotions into an act in one’s attempt to please him as he realized the man’s favor and how he deserves to be praised! On realizing all this, one will tell people about the man’s favor and generosity, hence they will hasten to resort to him. The circle of praise will augment and favors will inundate people. What happened to him will finally happen to them. Our praise of Allah gives us more favors and grants as True is Allah’s saying: “And as your Lord has notified (you), “Indeed in case you thank (Him), indeed I will definitely increase you and indeed in case you disbelieve, surely My torment is indeed strict.”( Surat Ibrahîm “Abraham” (14), verse 7)

This means that thanking your Lord for His boons and favors will augment Allah’s bestowments. So, we thank Allah for them, and He, Exalted be He, grants us more bestowments lavishly. Hence, thanking Allah continues and His boons and bestowments last. If we review all our lives, we will find that every move in it requires and necessitates our praise of Allah. When we sleep and Allah takes up our souls and selves, then He restores them to us again when we wake up. Of course, this requires our thanking Allah. Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Allah takes up the selves at the time of their death and the ones which have not died, in their sleeping. Then He holds back the ones against which He has decreed death, and sends (forth) the others till a stated term. Surely in that are indeed signs for a people who meditate.” (Surat Az-Zumar “The Hordes” (39), verse 42).

 On waking up from our sleep, when Allah sends forth our souls, we should realize this as a grace for which we should praise and express our gratitude to Him. When you get out of your bed, know for sure that It is Allah Who endowed you with your power to move and rise from your bed. If it had not been for this divine endowment, you would not have been able to rise. This deserves our attributing all praises and thanks to Him.

 When you take your breakfast, know for sure that It is Allah Whose grace ordained us to be endowed with food. On getting out of our houses, Allah facilitates for us all means that can convey us to the premises of our work. When we talk with people, It is Allah Who granted our tongues the ability to articulate with all our endowed abilities to express ourselves and be eloquent. This is a great favor that deserves our praising our Lord.

When you go back to your houses, we find our wives whom Allah granted us and our offspring whom Allah endowed us with. This is a great favor that deserves our praising our Lord.

 Each move and issue in this world deserves our praising our Lord; the human being should be praising our Lord. The human being has to thank and praise his Lord got any hardship that afflicts him, because what we regard as evil may be laden with all benefits. Allah says: “O you who have believed, it is not lawful for you to inherit women against their will; (Literally: through compulsion) neither pose problems for them that you may go away with some (part) of what you have brought them except when they come up with a (demonstrably) evident obscenity. And consort with them with beneficence; so in case you hate them, then it is possible you may hate something, and Allah sets in it much charity (i.e. benefit).” (Sūrat Al-Nisa’ (The Women) (4), verse 19).

 You praise Allah because His decree is laden with all benefits. Whether you like or dislike this decree, you will find all good in it. You do not know and Allah, the All-Knower, knows all things. This deserves our attributing all praises and thanks to our Lord. You should say: ‘Praise be to Allah! All thanks and praises belong to Allah for all what befalls me in this world! This in itself necessities our praise of Him as you attribute and refer all affairs to Allah Who created you and knows what is best for you.

Al-Fatihah commences with “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds. Why does Allah, Exalted be He, say: The Lord of the worlds”? We say that ‘al-hamdu lilah’ (Praise be to Allah) means praising al-Ulūhyya (Worship of Allah).

The word ‘Allah’ means the Worshipped Lord as none has the right to be worshipped save Him. Worshipping Allah is a Divine commandment, and Allah is the Lord Who issues His Divine Commandment to His creations and slaves.

 It is as if we first and foremost praise Allah, then we should praise ar-Rūbūbyya (Lordship) of Allah Who originated and created us from nonexistence.  Our Lord Whose Grace decreed that He endows and showers us graciously with His favors might be Praised for all people. Yet, they might it too hard for them to abide by His commandments and orders.

If people had known the grace and virtues of the divine obligations in this world they would have praised Allah Who mandated them with His orders and prohibitions. Allah guaranteed that life will move on in harmony. Allah’s first endowment is that our Worshipped Lord informed us of His divine constitution, and the second blessing and endowment is that He is the Lord of the worlds.  

 In the life of this world, there are the obedient and the disobedient, the believer and the disbeliever. Those who are encompassed by the grants and endowments of al-Ulūhyya (Worship of Allah) are the believers. The Grants and bestowments of ar-Rūbūbyya (Lordship of Allah) encompass all mankind. We praise Allah for the grants of His Ulūhyya (Worship of Allah) and we praise Allah for the grants of His Rūbūbyya (Lordship of Allah) because He is the One Who created and because He is the Lord of the worlds. The whole universe can not go beyond His Decree. People are reassured that their grants of endowments and blessings will last and be everlasting. The sun can not set and abstain from rising, and the stars can not collide with one another in the universe. Earth can not hinder the growth of plants nor could the atmosphere get remote from earth to make all people suffocate.

Allah, Exalted be He, wills to reassure His worshippers that He is the Lord of the universe and all that is therein. He holds sway over His universe all what He created. He is the Lord of the worlds and this is a grace that deserves praising Him. Allah ordains and sets to the human being what serves him, rather, He ordained and made him the master of the universe. That’s why the believer never fears the future, never has anxiety from tomorrow. And how come he has fears while his Lord is Allah, the Lord, and Cherisher of the worlds? If he does not have means of subsistence, he is confident that Allah will endow him lavishly with his livelihood, as He is the Lord of the worlds. If an adversity or a crisis befalls him, he is confident that Allah will drive away his adversity and dispel his sufferings because Allah is the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds. If a blessing is bestowed upon him he praises and thanks Allah for it because He is the Lord of the Worlds and Bestower of all blessings.

Allah, the Superb Truth, is Praised because He is the Lord of the Worlds. Nothing in His universe can ever go beyond His Divine Will and decree. As for the grants and bestowments of Uluhiyya (Worship of Allah), they denote Allah’s reward in the hereafter. Life is but the abode where the human being has the free choice to opt for and resort to faith. On the other hand, the hereafter is the abode of reward and recompense. Allah’s endowments are blessings are endowed to the dwellers of paradise, and Allah’s bestowments are granted to the believers.

Allah says: “Say, “Who has prohibited the adornment of Allah, which He has brought out for His bondmen, and the good things of (His) providing?” Say, “These, on the Day of the Resurrection, will be exclusively for the ones who believed in (i.e., during) the present life.” (Literally: the lowly life, i.e., the life of this world) Thus We expound the signs for a people who know.” (Sūrat Al-A’raf (The Battlements) (7), verse 32).

Allah is not praised in this world only, rather He is praised in this world and the hereafter. Allah, Exalted be He, is always and for ever Praised, in this world with the endowments of His Rūbūbyya (Lordship) He endows His creations with and the endowments of His Ūlūhyya (Worship) He endows those who believe in Him and in the hereafter with His endowments to the believers.

Allah says: “And they will say, “Praise be to Allah, Who has sincerely (made good) His promise to us and has made us inherit the earth for us, to make our location in the Garden where we decide. So how favorable is the reward of the (good) doers.”(Sūrat az-Zumar (The Hordes)(39), verse 74).

Also, Allah says: “Their plea therein (is) All Extolment be to You, Allah, ” (The Arabic word Allah has the supplication suffix umma) and their greeting therein is, “Peace, ” and their last plea is “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds.” (Sūrat Yunus (10), verse 10).

As for Allah’s saying: ar-Rahman (i.e. the All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. the Ever-Merciful), we find that chief among Allah’s endowments and grants that necessitate and require our attributing all praises and thanks to our Lord is that Allah, Exalted be He, is ar-Rahman (i.e. the All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. the Ever-Merciful). He grants His blessings in the life of this world to all His slaves, it is the Grant of al-Rūbūyyah (the Lordship of Allah), and the grant of al-Rūbūyyah is bestowed upon the believer and the disbeliever. The grant of al-Rūbūyyah (the Lordship of Allah) does not cease save when the human being dies. Allah does not deprive His slaves of His blessings in the life of this world. Allah’s blessings can not be counted despite all the advancements and technologies in the communications and information sector. All the computers of the world can not count Allah’s blessings. No one had ever dared suggest that he would count Allah’s blessings. Mankind lacks the ability to encompass and count them, that’s why no one dared claim that he can count Allah’s blessings. It is beyond man’s abilities and capabilities. Similarly, no one will ever take upon himself the burden of counting Allah’s blessings and bestowments until Doomsday. The whole world is fed up of the human being and that world that is subjugated to serve us feels fed up with the human being on seeing him erring and sinning. The subjugated world follows Allah’s Straight Path unwillingly. Hence, when all things and objects, which are subjugated to the human being whom they serve, see him disobeying Allah they become fed up with him.

The universe has no patience with the human being. The subdued world that serves us by virtue of subjugation can not put with the disobedient. The subdued world follows the Straight Path of Allah coercively. When it sees the human being, whom it is subjugated to serve, sinning, it becomes unable to put up with him. The following Qudsiyy (Divine) Hadīth shows conspicuously part and parcel of Allah’s all-encompassing mercy with which He showers His worshippers. In this Qudsiyy Hadīth, Allah (SWT) says:

            “There is no day its sun rises (i.e. on earth) but the heaven says: “O my Lord, allow me to fall down on the son of Adam in lumps because he lives with Your blessings and abstains to thank You. And the seas say: “O my Lord, allow me to drown the son of Adam because he lives with Your blessings and abstains to thank You. However, Allah says: “Leave them, leave them, for if you had created them, you would have had mercy upon them. If they repent to Me, then I shall be their Ever-Affectionate Lord, and if they do not repent to Me, then I shall be their Curer!”  (Reported by Imam Ahmad Ibn-Hanbal in his Musnad).

 These are the conspicuous manifestations of the two epithets: ar-Rahman (i.e. The All-Merciful), ar-Rahīm (i.e. The Ever-Merciful) and how they guaranteed for us the perpetuity of all that serves us in this universe despite the human being’s disobedience to his Lord. All things serve us by virtue of the Grant of ar-Rūbūyyah (the Lordship of Allah) and continue serving us as Allah, ar-Rahman (i.e. the All-Merciful) and ar-Rahīm (i.e. the Ever-Merciful) subjugated them to us. Some people might wonder: how come the earth and heaven in addition to inanimate objects, plants and animals speak? We say that these creations have a language of their own, a language we can neither understand nor grasp. This language is known only to their Creator. Evidently, ever since the first creation, Allah, Exalted be He, had informed us that each of such creations has a language of its own. Allah says: “Thereafter He leveled Himself (How He did so is beyond human understanding) to the heaven (while) it was smoke, then said to it and to the earth, “Come up (you two) willingly (Or: in obedience) or unwillingly!” They (both) said, “We come up willingly.””(Sūrat Fussilat ((Expounded) (41), verse 11).

 

This means that the earth and the heaven comprehended what
Allah had said to them. They said to Allah, Exalted be He, “We come up willingly.”” Didn’t Allah teach Sulayman the language (literally: the manner of pronunciation) of (the) birds, and the language of ants? Didn’t the mountains praise and extol with Dawû‍‍d? This proves that all Allah’s creations have cognizance that suits them, and even emotions. When Allah informs about the people of Firaawn, (Pharaoh) he says:

“They left how many gardens and springs, And plantations and how honorable a station,  And what comfort they used to (enjoy) cheerfully! Thus (it was); and We made another people to inherit (these favors). So, in no way did the heaven and the earth weep for them, and in no way were they respited.” (Sūrat Ad-Dukhan (The Smoke) (44), verses 25-29).

This proves that the heavens and the earth might react passionately and emotionally to the extent of weeping and crying. They did not weep for Firaawn, (Pharaoh) nor his people. Rather, they weep and shed tears of grief on the death of the believer who keeps up the prayer and complies with Allah’s orders and commandments. Ali Ibn-Abu-Talib (RA) said that: “When the believer dies, two places will weep over him, a place on earth and another place in heaven. As for the place on earth, it is his place of prayer which he made happy on praying in it. And as for the place in heaven, it is the point of ascent of his righteous deeds.”

Allah says: “The Possessor of the Day of Doom. You only do we worship, and You only do we beseech for help.” (Sūrat Al-Fatihah (The Opening) (1), verses 4,5).

As all Allah’s bestowments and endowments deserve our praise, being the Possessor of the Day of Doom deserves our attributing all thanks and praises to Allah. If it had not been for the Day of Doom, the evil people, who caused all evil to prevail in the world, would have been saved without being punished for the sins he committed. Those who complied with religious duties and worship, and deprived themselves of all the worldly pleasures in order to please Allah will be wretched in the life of this world. Yet as Allah, Exalted be He, is the Possessor of the Day of Doom, He ordained this universe to be balanced and in perfect equilibrium. Allah’s possession of the Day of Doom protected the poor and the oppressed and made truthfulness prevail in Allah’s universe.

On the Day of Judgment Allah will call every human being to account, this prevented the life of this world from becoming a jungle, where the powerful assaults the weak. The hereafter and the Day of Reckoning prevent this world from becoming a chaotic world where the wrongdoer oppresses the oppressed.  The devoutness and piety of the pious person will benefit other people as he fears Allah and gives every person his right, forgiving and pardoning others. That is why every one benefits from his high manners and abidance by truth and justice. The disobedient sinning person wrecks havoc and makes corruption disseminate in the society. No one will escape his evil or oppression. That is why “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” will set the balance. You realize that the person who has committed evil deeds on earth will be punished in the hereafter, and he will never escape it no matter how powerful and authoritative he is. Then you will feel reassured and your wrath will be appeased because Allah’s justice will punish every wrongdoer.

There are two readings of “Malik yawm al-din” (literally, The Possessor of the Day of Doom). The first reading is “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” and the second one is “The Sovereign of the Day of Doom”. Both readings are right. Allah, Exalted be He, described Himself in the Noble Qūr’an as “The Possessor of the Day of Doom”, and ‘the possessor’ of something is the only one who  has all power to dispose thereof. For instance, I possess my cloak, my goods, and house. I dispose of all my possessions as I will. “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” denotes that Allah will manage all the affairs of His slaves on that Day without having any need of any thing or any means for this. Everything, on the Day of Doom, will come from Allah directly. No one will be able to interfere in the affairs of the Day of Doom, not even in an apparent way. In the life of this world, Allah endows sovereignty to some people ostensibly. But on the Day of Judgment, there will be no pretensions or appearances. Everything, all affairs will be issued directly from Allah. That is why Allah describes the Day of Doom by saying in the Noble Qur’an: “Not at all! No indeed, (but) you cry lies to the Doom.” (Sūrat Al-Infitar (The Rending) (82), verse 9).

            It is as if Allah, Exalted be He, created the human being in the life of this world as a means for life to go on and continue. Nevertheless, in the hereafter there will no means.  Kingship and sovereignty in the life of this world belongs to and is endowed by Allah to whomsoever He would. Allah says: “Say, “O Allah, (The Arabic word has the supplication suffix umma) Possessor of the Kingship, You bring the kingship to whomever You decide, and You draw (Literally: pluck out) the kingship from whomever You decide, and You render mighty whomever You decide, and You humiliate whomever You decide. In Your Hand is (the) Charity; (i.e., the choicest) surely You are Ever-Determiner over everything.” (Sūrat Al Imran (The Family of Imran) (3), verse 26).

Allah’s saying: “and You draw” draws our attention to the fact that no one would abandon kingship, rather, kingship should be drawn from him despite him. It is Allah Who draws kingship from whomever He decides. Here, we wonder, do kingships in the world of this life and the hereafter belong to Allah? We say that all affairs belong to Allah at all times. Yet, Allah appointed or empowered some of His creations with kingship on earth. Allah says: “Have you not regarded him who argued with Ibrahîm (Abraham) about his Lord, that Allah had brought him the kingship? As’ Ibrahîm said, “My Lord is He Who gives life and makes to die, ” he said, “I give life and make to die.” Ibrahîm said, “Yet surely Allah comes up with (i.e., brings) the sun from the East, so come up with (i.e., bring) it from the West.” Then the one who disbelieved was confounded; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.” (Sūrat al-Baqarah (The Cow) (2), verse 258).

The king who argued with Ibrahîm (Abraham) about his Lord was a disbeliever. Nevertheless, that king had not gained sovereignty on his own, rather his Lord brought him the sovereignty. Hence, Allah did appoint some of His creations as successors and empowered them. He, Exalted be He, enabled them to be, ostensibly and apparently, kings and sovereigns. This means that sovereignty originates from Allah’s Decree and has nothing to do with the sovereign. Otherwise, we would keep this sovereignty for ever and it would not have been usurped of him.  Rather, it is brought to him by Allah and by virtue of His will. Allah tests His slaves for these apparent and ostensible sovereignties on doomsday: how did they manage people’s affairs? What did they do? And Allah tests people: did they obey the unjust ruler? Did they prefer disobedience? Or did they back up truth and justice in the face of oppression?

Allah, Exalted be He, does not test people to know the pious from the corrupt. Rather, He tests them to be witnesses against themselves lest anyone of them comes in the hereafter and says: “O my Lord! Had You brought me kingship, I would have followed the way of truth, applied Your Divine Constitution!”

Hence, we raise a question: If Allah knows all things, why should He test us? In fact, we have in this respect to give an example.

The universities throughout the whole world set exams for the students. Does this mean that the professors or lecturers who taught those students do not know what they learnt and would get knowledge from them? Of course not. But the fact is that this happens even if those students flunk the exams and then come and argue against the results. Their professors will encounter them and show them their papers so that they will hold their tongues. If the students had not taken their exams then they would have claimed that they deserved honors degrees.

When Allah says: “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” then this means that It is Allah, the Possessor that Day, Who will deal with all its affairs  as He wills. When He says, “The Sovereign of the Day of Doom”, this denotes that Allah, the Sovereign, will deal with all its affairs in a way that is more sublime than all possessors as any possessor disposes of his own possessions only. Nevertheless, not only does a sovereign dispose of his possessions but others’ as well. He can issue laws and decrees to confiscate or nationalize others’ properties. Those who say that Allah is “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” proves that Allah, Exalted be He, is the Possessor of that Day, disposes of it as He would without the interference of any one.

Moreover, those who read, “Malik yawm al-din” as “The Sovereign of the Day of Doom” say that It is Allah Who will dispose of the affairs of the Day of Judgment and the affairs of all His slaves even those who have apparent and ostensible sovereignties . On the Day of Doom there will be no possessors, no sovereigns, and Allah will be the Only Possessor and Sovereign. He, Exalted be He, would reassure His slaves and worshippers. If they have been afflicted by a possessor or sovereign who oppresses them, then on the Day of Doom Allah will be the Only Possessor and Sovereign.

 “The Day of Doom”: we have to deal with “the Day” and “Doom”.  A day is reckoned from sunrise to sunrise. This is what we call ‘ a day’. ‘A Day’ denotes a period of time in which many events take place. Scholars say that “Malik yawm al-din” (literally, “The Possessor of the Day of Doom”) means the One Who disposes of all the affairs of religion (N.B. din literally means religion) because periods of time can not be possessed. But we refute this claim and say that this applies only to us as we estimate things according to human possessions and the human being’s ability to possess things. We do not possess time. We can not retrieve the past nor bring forth the future. However, Allah is the Creator of time and He is not limited by time or place. Allah says: “And they ask you to hasten the torment! And Allah will never fail His promise; and surely a Day in the Reckoning of your Lord is as a thousand years of what you count.” (Sūrat Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage) (22), verse 47). And He says: “To Him the Angels and the Spirit ascend with difficulty to Him in a Day whereof the determined (length) is fifty thousand years.” (Sūrat Al-Maārij (The Stairways) (70), verse 4).

On contemplating the aforementioned two ayahs, we comprehend the meaning and denotation of ‘a Day’ for Allah, Exalted be He. This is because Allah created time; hence, He is Able to create a Day the determined length of which is one hour, and another day the determined length of which is twenty-four hours, and another day that is as fifty thousand years, and a day the determined length of which is a million years. All this is subject to Allah’s Will. “The Day of Doom”, with all its events, paradise, and hell, in addition to the creations who will be called to account in it belong to Allah’s all-encompassing and omniscient knowledge. When Allah wills that this “Day of Doom” takes place and His knowledge thereof be conveyed to His creations’ knowledge, whether these creations are angels, men, or jinn, He, Exalted be He, says: “Be”, and “it is”. Allah is the Only One Who created that Day, and determined all its features and events.

Verily, It is Allah Who created that day and the Only One Who determines its dimensions. We, as human beings, determine the day apparently as twenty four hours. We determine it by daytime and night. Nevertheless, in fact, day and night always exist on earth. When earth moves, each movement of earth represents the end of daytime in a certain place and the beginning of daytime in another place. Consequently, every moment represents the end of a daytime and the beginning of another day. That is why daytime never ends on earth and the night never ceases.

As a whole, ‘a day’ is relative as the daytime and night are in incessant succession throughout earth. Allah, Exalted be He, would reassure His creations that if acts of oppression afflict any person in this world then there will be ‘a Day’ when there will be no injustice whatsoever. Only then all affairs will belong solely to Allah. If any oppressed person does not take his right with all justice and retaliation in the life of this world then he should know that he will be called to account on the Day of Judgment. Also, those who followed Allah’s divine constitution and retrained their behavior in the life of this world will be informed by Allah that on that Day they be rewarded for all what they deprived themselves of during their lives. The greatness of the hereafter lies in the fact that it will endow you with paradise, an eternal bliss that will never forsake you nor will you be ever deprived of it.

Whoso followed Allah’s divine constitution and guidance is informed by Allah that on that Day he will be rewarded. The hereafter will endow you with paradise, an eternal bliss that you will never miss or be deprived of.  This is the greatness of the hereafter. A man came to a righteous man and asked him: “How can I know whether I am among the people who strive for worldly gains or those who seek the reward of the hereafter ?” The righteous man said: “Verily, Allah is Merciful to His slaves and worshippers. That is why He did not ordain their balances of the righteous and evil deeds to be put in the hands of human beings. Each one of us has his own balance to gauge himself. If you rejoice when someone gives you money then you are among the people who strive for worldly gains, and if you rejoice when someone takes from you alms and charity then you are among those who seek the reward of the hereafter.”

When you rejoice when someone gives you money then this means that you rejoice at the grants of the worldly gains. On the other hand, those who take alms from you endow you with the reward of the hereafter. If you are among those who seek the reward of the hereafter then giving almsgiving will gladden you than any worldly gains.

That is why, a righteous man used to say to anyone who came to him to take alms from him: “Oh, you are welcome, you who came bearing my righteous deeds to the hereafter at no cost!”

Allah’s saying: “Malik yawm al-din” (literally, The Possessor of the Day of Doom) represents a significant issue that is related to creed and faith. It signifies that the beginning is from Allah and the end is from Allah, Exalted be He. As all of us will meet Allah and be called to account by Him in the hereafter, then we have to exert strenuous efforts and do all righteous deeds to prepare ourselves for that Day. The believer does not make any righteous deeds in the life of this world without having Allah at the back of his mind. He always recalls that He will call him to account on Doomsday. The disbelievers do all their deeds without taking heed of Allah. Allah describes them and says: “And the ones who have disbelieved, their deeds are as a mirage in a low land, which the man all-athirst reckons to be water, till when he comes to it, he finds it nothing, and at it he finds Allah. Then He pays him his reckoning in full; and Allah is swift at the reckoning.” (Sūrat Al-Nūr (The Light) (24), verse 39).

Similarly, whoso does a righteous deed without taking heed of Allah, Exalted be He, will find out that Allah, of Whom he took no heed, exists and will call him to account.

Allah’s saying: “The Possessor of the Day of Doom.” is the pivot of faith. Those who do not believe in the hereafter will do what they would. So long as they do not believe in the hereafter and Allah’s Reckoning what do they fear? And for whose sake should they restrict their deeds in the life of this world? Islam pivots on the fact that Allah will call people to account and reckoning of the Hereafter. One day we will all stand before Allah, Exalted be He, to recompense the sinners and reward the righteous. If it were not for the Day of Judgment, why should we perform the prayers? Why should we fast and give alms? All the divine constitution pivots on that Day which no one will escape. We all should be prepared for it.  With regard to the believers, Allah, Exalted be He, called that day: “the Day of Great Triumph”. This makes us tolerate all what we hate and strive for Allah’s Sake. We die martyrs; spend our wealth to support the poor and give them money.  All this pivots on the fact that we will stand before Allah, Exalted be He.

Allah called that Day “the Day of Doom” because it is the Day when He will recompense all human beings for their religion, whether he abided by it or not.

The believers who followed the religion’s guidance will be rewarded with their perpetual dwelling in paradise. On the other hand, those who denied the religion and Allah’s divine constitution will have everlasting and perpetual dwelling in hellfire. Allah’s justice ordained that there will be a Day of Judgment. Some people who committed acts of injustice and oppression in the life of this world might escape punishment in the life of this world. Could these unjust people, who escaped the punishment of this world, escape Allah’s justice?  Rather, they will move from temporary punishment to eternal punishment.  They escaped punishment of the life of this world by virtue of people’s power in this world to the punishment to which they will be ordained by virtue of Allah’s power in the hereafter.

The Day of Doom is the Day on which all creations are judged, it is the Day of Resurrection. Allah will recompense them for their actions; hence, those who wrecked havoc in this world and escaped punishment will have their recompense. Allah, Exalted be He, might ordain a human being to escape punishment in the life of this world. Don’t ever think that this implies any good for them; rather it implies all evil for them because he escaped the temporary punishment of this world to eternal torture.

All praises and thanks should be attributed to Allah as He is the Possessor and Master of the Day of Doom. He is the Only One Who will decide His creations’ affairs and judge their deeds. Allah, Exalted be He, treats His creations equally and the Day of Religion is the pivot of piety.

 

Before dealing with Allah’s saying: “You only do we worship,”, we should mention a significant issue. There two kinds of ‘seeing’. By this we mean, ‘seeing with one’s own eyes’ and ‘seeing through one’s faith, that is, heart’. They are completely different. You can see something with your own eyes and this has nothing to do with faith or creed. On the other hand, “seeing through one’s faith (that is, heart)” means seeing what is unseen to you, what is not before you or your eyes. This latter kind is laden with certitude than the former one because it is seeing through ‘creed and insight’.

 Umar Ibnul-Khattab narrated: “One day, while we were sitting with Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) a man came up to us whose clothes were extremely white, whose hair was extremely black, upon whom traces of traveling could not be seen, and whom none of us knew, until he sat down close to the Prophet (SAWS) so that he rested his own knees upon his knees and placed his two hands upon his thighs and said, “O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.” The Messenger of Allah (SAWS) said, “Islam is to bear witness that there is no god to be worshiped but Allah, and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah and to establish the prayer, give zakat (mandatory alms-giving), observe the fast of Ramadan, and perform hajj (i.e.the pilgrimage) to the sanctified house of Allah (al-Ka’ba) if you are able (and have means) to take a way to it.” He said, “You have said the truth!” We wondered how he asked him (SAWS) and [then] affirmed what he said. He said, “Tell me about iman.” He (SAWS) said, “(Iman is) To believe in Allah, and His angels, and His books, and His messengers, and the Last Day, and to believe in (Allah’s) decree, the good and bad of it.” He said, “You have said the truth!” (Then) he said, “Tell me about ihsan.” He (SAWS) said, “(Ihsan is) To worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, verily He sees you.” He said, “Tell me about the Hour.” He (SAWS) said, “Verily, the one who is asked about it is not better informed about it than the inquirer.” He asked,” Then tell me about its signs.” He (SAWS) said, “That the female slave should give birth to her mistress, and you see the barefooted, naked, poor shepherds of sheep (and goats) competing in making tall buildings.' Then the man went away, and I (i.e. Umar) remained some time. Then the Prophet (SAWS) asked me, “O Umar, do you know who that inquirer was?” I said, “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He (SAWS) said, “That was Jibril came to you to teach you your religion”'." (Reported by Muslim)

The Prophet’s saying: “To worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, verily He sees you”  signifies seeing through one’s faith, that is, one’s heart. When the believer, for instance, reads an ayah about paradise, it seems to him that he is seeing the dwellers of paradise enjoying all the pleasures and bounties therein with his very eyes. And when he reads an ayah about hellfire he trembles as if he is seeing the dwellers of hellfire tormented. One day, the Prophet (SAWS) saw al-Harith, one of his Companions so he asked him: “How did you enter upon the morning, Harith?” Al-Harith said: “I entered upon the morning a true believer!” The Prophet (SAWS) said: “Pay heed of what you say for there is a true proof of every saying. So, what is the true proof of your belief?” Al-Harith said: “I have abstained from the (gains of the ) life of this world, hence I stayed awake at night and remained thirsty ( i.e. by observing fasting) in the daytime as if I am seeing the Throne of my Lord looming before me, as if I am looking at the dwellers of paradise visiting one another therein and as if I am seeing the dwellers of hellfire screaming therein!” The Prophet (SAWS) said: “O Harith! Verily, you have realized it (i.e. the true essence of belief) so `abide by it!” (Reported by at-Tabarany in his al-Kabeer, and Abu-Naeem in his Heleeah)

That’s why Allah says in the Noble Qur’an addressing the Prophet (SAWS): “Have you not seen how your Lord performed with the companions (i.e., owners) of the elephant?” (Sūrat Al-Fil (The Elephant) (105), verse 1).

 Some orientalists try to use this ayah “Have you not seen how your Lord performed with the companions (i.e., owners) of the elephant?” to impugn the Noble Qūr’an. The Prophet was born in The Year of the Elephant. They meant that  he (SAWS) could not have seen this event with his own eyes because he was a baby in the year of the Elephant. If Allah, Exalted be He, had said: “Have you not known…”, we would have said that someone had informed the Prophet (SAWS). Rather, Allah says: “Have you not seen…”. 

 This is an issue of faith and creed.  What Allah says and informs us of means to the believer ‘seeing something with his heart with certitude’. The Noble Qūr’an is the Divine Book, with its recitation and read worshippers worship their Lord till Doomsday. Allah’s saying: “Have you not seen…” means that seeing this will be and continue for each Muslim and believer reading this ayah. As Allah says: “Have you not seen…”, this means one sees by virtue of his faith what his eyes fail to see. This is the ‘insight of faith’ which is more credible and veracious than ‘the vision of sight’ as one’s sight might delude the seer but the believing heart never fails nor deludes us.

Believing in the Unseen makes the believer certain of ‘seeing through one’s heart that is laden with faith’ which is, as we have previously mentioned, laden with faith and certitude more than ‘seeing with one’s eyes’.

 When Allah, Exalted be He, says: “Praise be to Allah, The Lord of the worlds.” (Sūrat Al-Fatihah (The Opening) (1), verse 2), we know that Allah is Unseen, and “The Lord of the worlds” is Unseen. “The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful” is Unseen, “The Possessor of the Day of Doom” is Unseen. The lexical context dictated that the fifth ayah of Surat al-Fatihah be commenced with: “He Only do we worship”, but Allah changed that lexical context and the third person “He’  turned into the second person “You”. He ordained it to be: “You Only do we worship”. Hence, instead of saying: “He Only do we worship”, He says: “You Only do we worship”, making it a faith-laden true ‘seeing’.

You are in the Presence of Allah Who inundated you with His blessings as you see and find them surrounding you lavishly because He is The Lord of the Worlds”. He made you find great tranquility in His Decree because He is “The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”. That is, Allah’s Rūbūbyyah is the Rūbūbyyah of “The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”. If you do not praise Him and believe in Him for the blessings and endowments you feel and wallow on lavishly, then beware to violate or breech His divine constitution and guidance because He is  “The Possessor of the Day of Doom”.

Allah mentions His Self with all His epithets and attributes which are laden with the merits of Ulūhyya and the bestowments of Rūbūbyya.  We evoke the ,meaning of all this in addition to His mercy that obliterates sins and fear of standing before Him on the Day of Judgment. Hence, we are borne and transferred from the Divine attributes of the Unseen to the Divine presence of the Seen, evoking the majesty of Ulūhyya and the inundations of His mercy, the boundless grants and Superb Upright Sustenance of all His creations on the Day of Judgment.

When Allah says: “You Only do we worship” He, exalted be He, limited worshipping to His Holy Self. Had He said: “We do worship You Only” it would not have had the same meaning. You might say: “We worship You Only and so-and-so”. On the other hand, on saying: “You Only do we worship” then this denotes total submissiveness to Allah, Exalted be He, Only with His divine constitution with its orders and prohibitions. That is why He ordained the observance of the prayer to be the pillar and pivot of worshipping, and prostrating to Allah is the complete and utter submission to Allah as you put your face, the most honored part of your body, on earth. Then this is utter submissiveness to Allah and this takes place before all people during the prayer to declare your complete submission to Allah before all mankind.

The rich and the poor, the old and the young are equals in worshipping Allah so that every one of us gets rid of arrogance and haughtiness. Hence Allah equates between all His worshippers in their submission to Him and declaring it.

As for His saying: “You Only do we worship” it negates the human being’s slavery to anyone save Allah. It means: “We worship no one save Allah”. Hence, Allah’s saying: “You Only do we worship” limits the believers’ slavery to Allah Only, there is no god but Him and there is no one to be worshipped save Him. Let’s turn to Allah’s saying: “If there were in both of them (i.e., the heaven and the earth) gods expcept Allah, indeed they would (both) suffer corruption. All Extolment be to Allah, The Lord of the Throne, above whatever they describe.” (Sūrat al-Anbiyya` (The Prophets) (21), verse 22).

When we say: “Praise be to Allah”, we remember and evoke the donations and grants that require our praise of Him as they are manifest and hidden, overt and covert. When we say: “The Lord of the worlds” we remember the grants of ar-Rūbūbyyah in Allah’s creations and His subjugation of His universe. On saying: “The All-Merciful, The Ever-Merciful”, we recall and call to mind Allah’s mercy, and forgiveness, we call to our minds how the recompense of the odious deeds be fairness and the gates of repentance are opened. When we say: “The Possessor of the Day of Doom”, we recall and evoke the Day of Judgment and how Allah, Exalted be He, will reward you for your deeds. When we say: “You Only do we worship,” this means that we worship Allah Only. Hence, we realize what we are asked to do, that is, to worship Allah.

            Now, let’s pause for a minute to deal with what is called ‘cause and effect’.  Allah says: “And in no way did I create the jinn and humankind except to worship Me.” (Sūrat Ath-Thariyat (The Winnowers) (51), verse 56).

Then the cause of creation is worshipping. The creations were created so that they worship Allah, this worshipping became a reality. Nevertheless, ‘the cause and effect’ does not apply to Allah’s Divine acts. Allah, Exalted be He, never benefits from ‘the cause and effect’ as He is the Ever-Affluent Who dispenses with all His creations. Allah’s creations benefit from worshipping Him as Allah created us to worship Him. Our worshipping Allah will not add anything to His Sovereignty, rather, we will benefit in the life of this world and the hereafter from our worshipping Allah.

 In fact, Allah’s divine acts should not be justified or explained. It is His slave and worship who will gain all benefit from it. Does worship mean frequenting mosques and praising Allah? Or is it a divine constitution that comprises all aspects of life? Does not it encompass your life in your house, at work and on striving in this world?

Had Allah wanted His slaved to pray to Him and praise Him only, He would not have ordained them to have the power of free choice. Rather, He would have ordained them to have no power of free choice and compelled to worship Him as all His creations save mankind and jinn. Allah, Exalted be He, has the divine epithet of Superb Vanquishing, hence, He had the power to make whosoever He would compelled to worship Him as Allah says: “You would possibly consume yourself that they are not believers.” (Sūrat Ash-Shuaara (The Poets) (26) verse 3)

Had He wanted to subjugate us to His divine constitution coercively , no one would have transgressed this subjugation. He, Exalted be He, proved this to us. In our bodies and events that take place in the life of this world, there are things we are not free to choose.  The heart throbs and ceases to throb according to Allah’s Will, despite one’s will. The stomach digests food and the blood circulation takes place in our bodies without our knowing anything about it and despite our will. Many movements in the human body take place and are subjugated and compelled by Allah, Exalted be He. The human will does not interfere in the bodily activities. Many events that befall us in the life of this world, leaving us unfree to choose, unable to prevent them from happening. Fo instance, one can not prevent a car from running over him nor an airplane he is traveling by from catching fire. A human being can not prevent any of the events he is doomed to face in the life of this world from befalling him. He can not escape the Vicissitudes of Life that will befall him.

Hence, my freedom to choose in my life is so definite. I can not set my date of birth, nor choose my parents. I can not determine my features (whether I will be beautiful or ugly), nor height (whether I will be tall or short). I am free to choose to obey or disobey Allah’s orders and His Divine Constitution. Allah deserves and is Able to force all His creations to worship Him. However, He wants mankind and jinn to worship Him willingly not coercively. That is why Allah created us free to choose to hasten to Him or (Allah forbid!) not, to obey or disobey Him, to believe or disbelieve in Him.

If you love your Lord then you will hasten to Him willingly. You will abandon all that incurs on you His wrath and keen to abide by and obey His orders because you love. If you manage to choose all things in this world according to Allah’s Will, then you will attain the degree and honor of “worshipping Allah who is most endeared to him”. You will eb among Allah’s bondmen and not His slaves. All of us are His slaves, and slaves are equals in what they are forced to do. However, Allah’s worshippers give up their freedom to choose in order to abide by Allah’s orders and obey Him according to His Will. Allah, Exalted be He, differentiates between the bondmen and slaves.

Allah says: “And when My bondmen ask you concerning Me, then, surely I am near; I answer the invocation of the invoker when he invokes Me; so let them respond (to) Me, and let them believe in Me, so that possibly they would respond right-mindedly.” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah’ (The Cow) (2), verse 186).

Moreover,  Allah says: “And the bondmen of The All-Merciful are the ones who walk on the earth gently, and when the ignorant address them, they say, “Peace!”” (Sūrat al-Fūrqan (The Criterion) (25), verse 63).

Allah, Exalted be He, gave a description of the believers and called them ‘`ibad’ (literally, the bondmen) but when He describes all mankind He refers to them by ‘`abeed’  (literally, (His) slaves) as Allah says:

Allah says: “That (is) for what your hands have forwarded and that Allah is not unjust (The Arabic adjective here is in the strong from) to (His) slaves.” (Sūrat al-`Imran (The Family of `Imran) (3), verse 182).

Also, Allah says: “Then He will say, “Was it you who led these My bondmen into error, or did they themselves err away from the way?”” (Sūrat al-Fūrqan (The Criterion) (25), verse 17).

This ayah deals with the sinners who are led astray but Allah called them `ibad (bondmen). This will be in the hereafter. In the hereafter we will all be His bondmen as we will all be forced to obey Allah, The One, The Worshipped Lord, Exalted be He. The human being will be unfree to choose when death approaches him and he becomes in the throes of death. At that moment, we will all be `ibad (bondmen), compelled to obey Him without having the free will to choose.

Allah ordained every human being to be free to choose to worship Him in the life of this world. He, Exalted be HE, has not compelled him to worship Him, and has not commissioned the disbeliever with any commandments or obligations. Rather, a believer commissions himself to observe certain duties and obligations. The believer obligates himself to follow Allah’s divine constitution; hence, he enters into a divine contract with his Lord. That is why when Allah mentions the duties and obligations He does not address all mankind, rather, He addresses the believers only as Allah says: “O you who have believed, prescribed for you is the Fast, as it was prescribed for (the ones) who were before you, that possibly you would be pious.” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah’ (The Cow) (2), verse 183).

Also, Allah says: “O you who have believed, seek help in patience and prayer; surely Allah is with the patient.” (Sūrat Al-Baqarah’ (The Cow) (2), verse 153).

Allah, The Almighty, enjoins His duties on the believer who enters into a divine contract of faith with Him. When we try to use the criterion of `ibadiyyah (slavery and worship) and apply it to Allah’s Messenger, the Master of Prophets and Messengers (SAWS), we will find him reaching the zenith of `ibadiyyah.  It was the Prophet (SAWS) who succeeded in abiding by the `ibadiyyah Allah would His creations to follow.

It is true that the Prophet (SAWS) fulfilled the optimum example and model of `ibadiyyah (slavery and worship) Allah wanted from His creations (and this was the cause of creation). This shows us the highest and most sublime ranks the Prophet (SAWS) had attained with His Creator.

Allah, Exalted be He, linked worshipping Him alone with beseeching His aid. Allah says: “You only do we worship, and You only do we beseech for help.”

This means we worship no one save You and we beseech no one’s help save You. Beseech Allah’s help relieves you of the humiliation of this world.  On asking a human being for his aid then you are asking the help of a helpless human being no matter how influential and powerful he is.

 As we are living in a world of variables where everything is liable for change, an influential person is likely to lose his prestige and be powerless. Moreover, he might die at any moment, so, you will find no one to give you aid.

Allah, Exalted be He, would liberate the believer from the humilities of the life of this world. That is why Allah asks him to seek the help of the Ever-Living, the Omnipotent Whose power will never be depleted, the Supreme Subduer Whose subduing power can not be escaped by anyone. When you beseech Allah to give you His aid, He, Exalted be He, will back you up. He is the Only One Who can turn your weakness into power and might. The believer always faces more powerful forces that outweigh his abilities. Those who fight and wage wars against Allah’s Divine constitution are powerful and would enslave others. The believer will struggle and have conflict with them. That is why Allah, the Truth, advocates His believers and worshippers to realize and believe that He is with them in the conflict and struggle between truthfulness and falsehood. Allah’s saying: “and You only do we beseech for help” is as “You only do we worship,”. This means: we beseech Your Help, no one’s help but Yours. This is the divine constitution that governs all affairs of life. Beseeching Allah’s help signifies that the human being spared no effort and made use of all his means yet they failed him. Thereupon he should remember that he has a Lord Whom he worships none but Him, He will never fail him.

When the means fail us, then we should resort to Allah, the Lord of means. He is All-Existent and Ever-Existent. Allah overlooks nothing and no whisper or word in the universe can ever escape His knowledge. Hence, the believer always resorts to heaven and Allah is always with him.

 Allah says: “Guide us in the straight Path. The Path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring.” (Sūrat Al-Fatihah’ (The Opening) (1), verses 6,7).

As you believe in Allah as a God and a Lord, you recall  the grants of ūlūhyya, blessings of Rūbūbyyah and inundations of Allah’s mercy! When you say, “You Only do we worship” you profess that there is no god to be worshipped but Allah (that is, there is no god to be worshipped save Allah, we associate no partners with Him and we worship no one but Him). After declaring and professing that you seek no one’s aid save Allah by saying: “and You only do we beseech for help”, then you are among Allah’s slaves and worshippers. Allah teaches you the supplication and invocation which all believers yearn and long to. As you are one of Allah’s slaves and worshippers, then Allah will answer your invocation as Allah says: “And when My bondmen ask you concerning Me, then, surely I am near; I answer the invocation of the invoker when he invokes Me; so let them respond (to) Me, and let them believe in Me, so that possibly they would respond right-mindedly. (Sūrat al-Baqarah (The Cow) (2), verse 186).

The believer never invokes Allah to grant endowments of the life of this world. For the human being, the real life he will find in the hereafter where he will have eternal life and the bliss. Any believer never asks his Lord to grant him a wealth or to possess blocks of flats because he knows that such worldly gains are ephemeral. Rather, he ask his Lord to save him from hellfire and help him enter Paradise.

 Chief among the manifestations of Allah’s mercy is the fact that He taught us how to invoke Him and this requires our praise of Him. The first thing one asks and invokes is Allah’s guidance and the Straight Path by saying: “Guide us in the straight Path.”

There are two kinds of Guidance: firstly, to show the human being the straight path (and it is general endowed to all mankind) and secondly, to help him with His grace to act upon the divine Guidance. The first kind of Guidance is endowed to all people. The second one refers to Allah’s assistance and help which He grants to the believers only who follow His divine constitution. Allah, Exalted be He, guided all His slaves the first kind of Guidance, that is to say, by guiding them to the path of righteousness. Whoso would follow the Path of righteousness should follow it, and whoso would not follow it would not be guided by Allah, Exalted be He.

 This all-inclusive and universal guidance is the basis of Allah’s Message. He, Exalted be He, guided and showed us in His divine constitution by virtue of His orders and prohibitions what pleases and displeases Him. He showed us the Path which we should follow in order to be guided and the Path which if we follow then we will incur Allah’s anger and wrath on us. Now, the question is, were all those, whom Allah showed the Path of Guidance, guided? No. Allah says: “And as for Thamû‍d, so We guided them, yet they showed love for blindness above guidance; so the (stunning) thunderbolt of the torment of degradation took them (away) for whatever they used to earn.” (Sūrat Fussilat (Expounded) (41), verse 17).

Hence, some people do not follow Allah’ Path of Guidance by virtue of their freedom to choose which Allah endowed him. If Allah had ordained all of us to be rightly guided, then no one of His creations would have ever transgressed His will. But He, the Almighty, created us free to choose in order to hasten to obey and worship Him willingly and out of our love for Him. Allah says: “And (the ones) who have been guided (aright), (He) increases them in guidance and brings them their piety.”  (Sūrat Muhammad (47), verse 17).

 This means that all those who follow Allah’s Path of guidance will be will be assisted by his Lord. He will augment and increase their guidance, devoutness and love for the religion. As for those who were endowed with Allah’s guidance yet they forsook and violated it, then Allah, the Almighty, would fail them. Allah says: “And whoever is purblind to the Remembrance of The All-Merciful, We preordain for him a Shaytan (An ever-Vicious (one), i.e., a devil) who (becomes his) comrade.” ((Sūrat Az-Zukhuruf (The Decoration) (43), verse 36).

 Allah informs us of those who are deprived of the second kind of His Guidance, that is to be granted through His grace the Guidance and have all means for His Straight Path facilitated. Those are three kinds of people as this is shown in the Noble Qur’an:

1-     “(is) for that they have shown more love for the present life (Literally: the lowly life, i.e., the life of this world) than for the Hereafter and (for) that Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.” (Sūrat al-Nahl (The Bees) (16), verse 107).

2-     “So, it is likelier that they will bear testimony in proper form (Literally: come up with the testimony at its “proper” face) or fear that after their (other) oaths may be turned back to. And be pious to Allah and give ear (obediently); and Allah does not guide the immoral people. (Sūrat al-Maidah (The Table) (5), verse 108).

3-     “Have you not regarded him who argued with Ibrahîm (Abraham) about his Lord, that Allah had brought him the kingship? As’ Ibrahîm said, “My Lord is He Who gives life and makes to die, ” he said, “I give life and make to die.” Ibrahîm said, “Yet surely Allah comes up with (i.e., brings) the sun from the East, so come up with (i.e., bring) it from the West.” Then the one who disbelieved was confounded; and Allah does not guide the unjust people.” (Sūrat al-Baqarah (The Cow) (2), verse 258).

Those who are deprived from Allah’s Guidance in aiding them to have      faith in Him are the disbelievers, the immoral and the unjust.

 Allah says: “Guide us in the straight Path”. 

What is that Straight Path (Sirat)? It is the Path that leads to an end. Why does the ayah describe that Sirat as the Sirat Al-Mustaqim? Because Allah set for us the clear and straight path in His Divine constitution. It is the shortest way that enables one to attain an end, the shortest you can take to lead a way that has no twists or turns.

 Straying from the Sirat Al-Mustaqim (literally, the Straight Path) does not mean getting aloof or going too far from it.

  “Guide us in the straight Path” means “guide us to the straight path, the path that has no twists or turns whatsoever, the path that entails no violation of Allah’s straight path.

The believer asks Allah to guide him to the shortest and most straight path to reach the most sublime goal and aim, that is, paradise and bliss in the hereafter.

It is paradise and eternal bliss in the hereafter. That is why we say: “O Allah! Guide us and give us aid to lead your straight path (that is, the path of the Divine constitution) to lead us to paradise without ever having any twists or turns in it that might keep us aloof from paradise.

Allah says in a Qudsiyy (i.e. Divine) Hadīth: Then, when he (i.e. the worshipper) says, “Guide us to the straight path, the path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring”, Allah, Exalted be He, says, “This is for My worshipper, and My worshipper will be endowed with whatever he prays for.””

Allah says: “Guide us to the straight path, the path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring” 

Allah says: “And whoever obeys Allah and the Messenger, then those are with the ones whom Allah has favored of the Prophets, and the ones constantly sincere and the martyr-witnesses, and the righteous; and the fairest escorts those are! (Sūrat A-Nisa’ (The Women) (4), verse 69).

When you read that ayah you ask Allah to be among the prophets, as-Siddiqin (the one constantly sincere and true), ash-Shuadā (the martyrs), and as-Salehyyn (the righteous). That is, you ask Allah to help you be guided to the straight path, the same path that they (i.e. the prophets, as-Siddiqin (the one constantly sincere and true), ash-Shuadā (the martyrs), and as-Salehyyn (the righteous) took and acted upon to be with them in the hereafter. It is as if you are invoking Allah to grant you the high degree and ranks in paradise as those we have previously mentioned  have high ranks in the paradise of eternal bliss. Hence, you ask Allah to help you take and act upon His straight path that will lead you to a high rank in the hereafter.

As Allah says to His worshipper: “This is for My worshipper, and My worshipper will be endowed with whatever he prays for.” you realize that this means that He has granted you the most blissful and eternal life in the hereafter and your enjoyment of His paradise by virtue of Allah’s power and not the human power as in the life of this world. If the graces and boons of the life of this world are uncountable and innumerable then what about the blessings and bestowments of the hereafter? Allah says: “Therein they will have whatever they decide on, and close to Us there is utmost increase.” (Sūrat Qāf (50), verse 35).

This does not mean that you will not only find before you what you have asked for the moment it crosses your mind, rather, you will find the utmost increase of all of Allah’s bestowments and graces you will ask for. He will give you all what you would and will augment and increase His bestowment and grants. He will endow you with the bestowments and grants you never asked for. This is just an example Allah is giving us to make us imagine the felicity and bliss of paradise. Yet, in Allah’s paradise, there are pleasures and bounties which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human mind has thought of.

Meanings and connotations should be originated in the mind first then the terms and words describing them are brought forth. As this is a lexical rule, there are no terms or words in the human languages and dictions that can describe the bliss which the Dwellers of paradise will enjoy therein as there will be pleasures and bounties which no eye has seen, no ear has heard and no human mind has thought of.

All what we read in the Noble Qur’an about paradise and its pleasures does not give us the true essence thereof but it just makes us imagine Allah’s bounties and the bliss we will have in paradise. Thereupon, Allah says on describing paradise in the Noble Qur’an: “(This) is the similitude of the Garden which the pious have been promised; therein are rivers of water not staling, and rivers of milk that does not change in taste, and rivers of wine- a delicious (drink) to the drinkers- and rivers of honey unadulterated; (Literally: carefully selected; clear; limpid, strained) and therein for them are all kinds of products, (i.e., fruits) and forgiveness from their Lord. Are they as he who is eternally (abiding) in the Fire, such as are made to drink scalding water so it cuts up their bowels?” (Sūrat Muhammad (47), verse 15).

This is not the real essence of Allah’s paradise or Garden and its  bounties and pleasures because, as we have previously mentioned, there  are no words or terms in the human language that can describe or depict the true essence and quintessence of Allah’s paradise and its  bounties and pleasures. 

Allah’s saying: “other than that of the ones against whom You are angered,” shows that the believer asks his Lord to help him follow His path other than that of those who have incurred His wrath who willfully went against His commandments. They disobeyed Allah and His divine orders. Allah did not endow them with His aid to follow His Guidance and straight path, by virtue of His Graces. They were quite familiar with Allah’s commandments and divine constitution yet they violated them and committed sins which He prohibited for the sake of petty worldly pleasures and gains. Hence, they incurred and deserved Allah’s wrath.

Allah’s saying: “other than that of the ones against whom You are angered,” means: “O our Lord, don’t facilitate for us the path which incurs on us Your wrath as those who altered your commandments and divine constitution and did not abide by them in order to gain power or authority in the life of this world and devour people’s wealth and property unjustly.

In the Noble Qur’an, Allah mentions those who incurred His wrath as He says: “Say (i.e. the prophet) “Shall I (fully) inform you of a requiting in the Meeting with Allah eviler than that? Whomever Allah has cursed and with whom He is angry and made (some) of them apes and swine, and worshipers of the Taghû‍t, (i.e. idols, and anything worshiped besides Allah) those are in eviler place and have erred further away from the level way.” (Sūrat al-Maidah (The table) (5), verse 60).

The previous ayah was sent down to describe the Children of Israel.

Allah’s saying: “and not (that of) the erring” :

There are the erring (and straying) ones and the misguiding ones. An erring person is the person has gone astray from the right path and led another way other than that of Allah’s divine constitution. He led an erring life, straying from Allah’s Guidance and religion. This means that he is led astray in the life of this world, hence became a patron of Satan and stayed away from Allah’s straight path.

However, a misguiding person has not only gone astray from Allah’s divine constitution but also lured others to misguidance and sins. He attempted to lure others to disbelieve in Allah, not follow His commandments, and keep away from Allah’s path. Every disobedient sinner will not only bear their encumbrances of sins on Doomsday but also the sins of those whom he misguided. Allah says: “That they may carry their encumbrances complete on the Day of the Resurrection and (some) of the encumbrances of the ones that they lead into error without (any) knowledge. Verily odious is that with which they encumber themselves!” (Sūrat al-Nahl (16), verse 25).

When you recite al-Fatihah (The Opening), you seek Allah’s refuge from becoming among the erring. However, Allah, Exalted be He,  does not mention the misguiding ones, rather He mentioned the erring. This is because seeking refuge of Allah from the path of the erring includes both the erring and the misguiding ones. If you seek Allah’s refuge from becoming an erring person, then you will never be a misguiding person.

We complete our recitation of al-Fatihah (The Opening) by saying Amen, following the Prophet’s example. He (SAWS) was taught by Jibril to say Amen after reciting al-Fatihah (The Opening). It is a word Jibril said to the Prophet (SAWS) and not part or a word of the Noble Qur’an.

By saying “Amen”, the one who recites al-Fatihah (The Opening) asks his Lord to answer his invocation and what he asked his Lord in reciting al-Fatihah (The Opening) (i.e by saying: “Guide us in the straight Path. The Path of the ones whom You have favored, other than that of the ones against whom You are angered, and not (that of) the erring.”). Scholars differed concerning the word “amen”, whether it is Arabic or not.

This broaches a significant issue: how come a non-Arabic word is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an which Allah describes as Arabic (and revealed in an evident Arabic tongue)? We say that the mention of a word (or drawing on a word) that is not of Arabic origin does not negate that the Noble Qur’an is Arabic. Many words were integrated in the Arabic language prior to the revelation of the Noble Qur’an. Such words became part of the Arabic words and familiar to the Arabs.

Describing the Noble Qur’an as Arabic does  not only mean the origin of the Arabic language but that the Noble Qur’an was revealed in the language and tongue of the target people of Arabia. As such non-Arabic words were used by the Arabs then they became part of the Arabic words, and the Arabs did not differentiate between them and the Arabic words. When the Noble Qur’an was revealed such non-Arabic words were in use  among the Arabs.

“Amen” is not a verb, rather it is a verbal noun,  that is, it has the connotation of a verb. It means: “(O my Lord,) accept my prayer!”

 When we finish our recitation of  al-Fatihah (The Opening) and say: “Amen” this means: “O my Lord, answer my invocation!” You are so keen to be endowed with Allah’s Guidance that it will not suffice you to say: “Guide us in the straight Path”, hence you ask Allah to answer your invocation. For instance, when you are praying in congregation, you hear Imam invoking Allah, then you participated with him in his supplication and invocation. When Moses asked his Lord to obliterate the riches of the chiefs of Firaawn, and annihailate them with His painful torment, Allah said to him as this is mentioned in the Noble Qur’an : “Said He, “Your invocation (i.e., of both M‍ûsa and H‍arûn) has been answered; so go you (two) straight and definitely do not ever follow the way of the ones who do not know.”. (Sūrat Yunus (10), verse 89).

 Allah addressed both M‍ûsa (AS) (Moses) and H‍arûn (AS) (Aaron) although it was M‍ûsa who invoked Him but H‍arûn said “Amen” , hence, he took part in M‍ûsa’s invocation.

Translated by sister Souad Naguib jazaha Allah kheiran